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PRACTICAL 

POULTRY KEEPER: 

a Complete antr £>tairtiar& <3uibt 

TO THE 

MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY, 



DOMESTIC USE, THE MARKETS, OR EXHIBITION. 



By U' WRIGHT.- 



EL,EV£NT'H EDITION. 



Af. 



/ o 



NEW YORK: 

The Orange Judd Company, 

75i, BROADWAY. 






By special arrangement, the sale of this book in the United 
States is placed in the hands of The Orange Judd 
Company, of New York. 

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited. 

London, Paris & New York. 



ty transfer Our* 



P»*. Mloe LJto. 



CONTENTS 



SECTION I. 

i 
The General Management of Domestic Poultry, with a 
View to Profit: — 
Chapter I. — Houses and Runs ; and the Appliances necessary 

to keeping Poultry with Success 
Chapter II. — On the System of Operations, and the Selection 

of Stock 

Chapter III. — The Feeding and General Management of 

adult Fowls 

Chapter IV. — Incubation 

Chapter V. — The Rearing and Fattening of Chickens 
Chapter VI.— Diseases of Poultry 



SECriON II. 

The Breeding and Exhibition of Prize Poultry: — 

Chapter VII. — Yards and Accommodation adapted for Breed 
ing Prize Poultry 

Chapter VIII.— On the Scientific Principles of Breeding, 
and the Effects of Crossing 

Chapter IX. — On the Practical Selection and Care of Breed- 
ing Stock, and the Rearing of Chickens for Exhibition... 

Chapter X. — On " Condition," and the Preparation of Fowls 
for Exhibition ; and various other Matters connected 
with Shows 



90 



SECTION III. 

Different Breeds of Fowls: their Characteristic Points, 
with a Comparison of their Merits and Principal 
Defects ■ — 

Chapter XL — Cochin-Chinas or Sbanghaes 101 

Chapter XII. — Brahma Pootras 105 



Chapter XIII. — Malays ... 
Chapter XIV.— Game 
Chapter XV. — Dorkings ... 
Chapter XVI. — Spanish ... 
Chapter XVII. — Hamburghs 
Chapter XVIII.— Polands 
Chapter XIX.— French Breeds 
Chapter XX. — Bantams ... 
Chapter XXI.— The " Various ' 



Class 



r*0E 
116 
118 
126 
131 
138 
145 
151 
162 
167 



SECTION IV. 

Turkeys, Ornamental Poultry, and Waterfowl.— 

Chapter XXII. — Turkeys. Guinea-fowl. Pea-fowl 17.j 

Chapter XXIII.— Pheasants 185 

Chapter XXIV.— Water-f owl -... 190 



SECTION V. 

The Hatching and Bearing of Chickens Artificially :- 
Chapter XXV. — The Incubator and its Management ... 
Chapter XXVI. — Rearing i 'hiokens Artificially 



203 

213 



SUCTION VI. 
The Bkefdixg and Management ok Poultry upon a Large 
Scale : — 
Chapter XXVII. — Separate Establishments for Rearing 

Poultry. Poultry on the Farm. Conclusion ... ... 221 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Ground Plan and Elevation of Poultry house 



Cover for Feeding-dish 

Poultry-fountain 

Protection for the Hen whilst sitting 

Mode of testing Eggs ... 

Coop fob Hen with Chickens 

Coop for transporting Hen and Brood 
Wire-covered Run for Young Chickens 

Fattening Pens 

Plan of Mr. H. Lane's Poultry- yard 

„ Mr. R. W. Boyle's „ 
Crevecceur Fowls 
La Fleche Cockerel 

,, Pullet 

Houdan Cock 

„ Hen 
Breda Fowls 
Silky „ 
Barn-door „ 
Brindley's Incubator 
Section of Mr. F. H. Schroder's Incubator 

Messrs. Graves' Incubator 

Mr. F. H. Schroder's "Mother " ... 
The Poultry-house at Belair 



PAGE 
11 

26 

26 

29 

38 

41 

46 

48 

49 

52 

65 

68 

152 

155 

156 

157 

158 

159 

169 

171 

205 

207 

212 

215 

225 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



View of Hex-house 

Plan of „ 

The Open Runs for Chickens and Fowls . 
Arrangement of Ground Floor of Poultry 
The Hatching-room 

FEEDING-COOrS 

The Portable Hatching Basket 

The Kitchen 

The Store-room 

The Audeod Corn-bin 



PAG« 

226 
227 
229 
230 
231 
232 
233 
233 
234 
235 



SEPARATE PLATES 



Feathers ... 


:laj.ho, 

Frontispiece. 


White Cochins 


Facing p. 101 


■Silver-pencilled Hamburgh s ... 


„ 145 


Dark Brahmas 


„ 108 


Dick-wing Game ... 


„ 121 


Grey Dorkings 


„ 127 


White-faced Black Spanish 


„ 131 


SlLVER-SPANGLED POLANDS 


„ 147 


Black and Sebright Bantams 


„ 163 


Variegated Cambridge Turkeys 


„ ISO 


Rouen and Aylesbury Ducks 


„ 191 


Toulouse Geese 


„ 197 



PREFACE 



With at least half a dozen books upon the subject of Poultry 
already" at the choice of the reader, some apology may be 
deemed necessary for the publication of yet another. 

Such our apology is very brief, and rests in the simple fact 
that a practical treatise — authoritative and comprehensive, yet 
simple and popular — has yet to be supplied. We are not to 
the present time aware of any work we could put into the 
hands of a person totally ignorant of poultry keeping, with the 
reasonable certainty that its instructions, if followed, would 
command success. Descriptions of breeds there are in plenty, 
some of them of great value ; but very little has been written 
respecting the practical details of even ordinary poultry 
management ; and with regard to two very important parts of 
the subject — the breeding and rearing of poultry for exhi- 
bition, and artificial incubation — absolutely nothing has yet 
been published in a connected form. 

To occupy this field is one object of the following pages ; 
which are the fruit of a thorough practical experience and 
knowledge of fowls, and will, we believe, be found a plain and 
sufficient guide to the merest tyro in any circumstances that 
are likely to occur to him j whilst even experienced breeders, 
we hope, may also find hints which may be useful to tnem. 

Yet, whilst thus paying special attention to practical 
management, the different breeds have not been overlooked; and 



Viii PREFACE. 

of every leading variety, at least, sufficient description has been 
given to answer every purpose of the fancier. Where we have 
permission to give them, the eminent names appended to the 
different chapters will be ample guarantee for the correctness 
of this portion of our work; but it is in every case to be under- 
stood that we do not rely alone upon our own careful study of 
the best specimens, but have the highest authority in each 
breed for every statement made respecting it. It is the more 
necessary to state this, because we have been compelled in 
a few cases to dissent from the well-known " Standard of 
Excellence " — usually most reliable, and hitherto the generally 
recognised authority on this part of the subject. 

It only remains to thank those who have aided us, and 
placed their valuable experience and knowledge at the service 
of the public. Some of these are old friends : others are, or at 
least were, personal strangers. But in either case we feel plea- 
sure in recording that, in nearly every instance, any assistance 
requested has been accorded as frankly as it was asked, and 
has frequently led to after intercourse of a most pleasant kind ; 
and that to the cheerful and kindly aid of the most eminent 
breeders in the kingdom these pages owe much of whatever 
value they may have. 

Kivffsdonn, Bristol. 



SECTION I. 



GENEEAL MANAGEMENT OF DOMESTIC POULTRY 

WITH A VIEW TO PEOFIT. 



TO THE READER 



The pages of this Section are not intended simply to be 
read and commended ; but the directions given are such 
as are proper for the circumstances therein referred to, 
and are the price to be paid for health and eggs. 

For instance : when it is said that the roosting-house 
should be cleansed daily, it is meant that it should be done. 
When it is said that fowls in confinement should have 
daily fresh vegetable food, it is intended to convey that 
such food must be regularly yiven. And so on. 

Let the reader deal fairly by us and by his poultry. 
So will the latter deal fairly by him. 



GENEEAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 



CHAPTEK I. 

HOUSES AND RUNS J AND THE APPLIANCES NECESSARY TO KEEP- 
ING POULTRY WITH SUCCESS. 

Fowls should not be kept unless proper and regular attention can 
be given to them ; and we would strongly urge that this needful 
attention should be personal. Our own experience has taught 
us that domestics are rarely to be relied upon in many matters 
essential both to economy and the well-being of the stock ; 
and, if any objection be made on the score of dignity, we could 
not only point to high-born ladies who do not think it beneath 
them to attend to their own fowls, but can aver that even the 
most menial offices can be performed in any properly-constructed 
fowl-house without so much as soiling the fingers. If there be 
children in the family old enough to undertake such matters, 
they will be both pleased and benefited by attending to what will 
soon become their pets ; if not, the owner must either attend to 
them himself, or take such oversight as shall be effectual in 
securing not only proper care of his birds, but of his own meal 
and grain. If he be unable or unwilling to do at least as much 
as this, he had far better not engage in such an undertaking 
at all. 

The first essential requisite to success in poultry-keeping is a 
good house for the birds to roost and lay in. This 

B 2 



4 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

does not necessarily imply a large one or a costly : we once 
knew a young man who kept fowls most profitably, with only 
a house of his own construction not more than three feet 
square, and a run of the same width, under twelve feet 
long. It means simply that the fowl-house must combine two 
absolute essentials — be both perfectly weatherproof, and well 
ventilated. 

With regard to the first point, it is not only necessary to 
keep out the rain but also the wind — a matter very seldom 
attended to as it ought to be, but which has great influence on 
the health and laying of the inmates. The cheapest material is 
wood, of which an inch thick will answer veiy well in any 
ordinary English climate; but if so built, the boards must 
either be tongued together, or all the cracks between them care- 
fully caulked by driving in string with a blunt chisel. Care 
should also be taken that the door fits well, admitting no air 
except under the bottom; and, in short, every precaution 
taken to prevent draught. The hole by which the fowls enter, 
even when its loose trap-door is closed, should admit enough air 
to supply the inmates, and the object is to have but this one 
source of supply, and to keep the fowls out of all direct 
draught from it. For the roof, tiles alone are not sufficient, 
and if employed at all, there should be either boarding or ceil- 
ing under them ; otherwise all the heat will escape through 
the numerous interstices, and in winter it will be impossible to 
keep the house warm. Planks alone make a good roofing. They 
may either belaid horizontally, one plank overlapping the other, 
and the whole well tarred two or three times first of all, and 
every autumn afterwards ; or perpendicularly, fitting close edge 
to edge, and tarred, then covered with large sheets of brown paper, 
which should receive two coats of tar more. This last makes a 
very smooth, weatherproof, and durable roofing, which throws 
off the water well. But, on the whole, we prefer board covered 
with patent felt, which should be tarred once a year. 



niPOR'iANCE OF VENTILATION. 

In the north of England, a house built of wood, unless arti- 
ficially warmed, requires some sort of lining. Matting is often 
used, and answers perfectly for warmth, but unfortunately 
makes a capital harbour for vermin. If employed at all, it 
should only be slightly affixed to the walls, and at frequent in- 
tervals be removed and well beaten. Felt is the best material, the 
strong smell of tar repelling most insects from taking up their 
residence therein. 

If a tight brick shed offers, it will, of course, be secured for 
the poultry habitation. But let all dilapidations be well 
repaired. 

Ventilation is scarcely ever provided for as it should be, 
and the want of it is a fruitful source of failure and disease. 
An ill-ventilated fowl-house must cause sickly inmates; and 
such will never repay the proprietor. This great desideratum 
must, however, as already observed, be secured without exposing 
the fowls to any direct draught; and for the ordinary detached 
fowl-houses, the best plan is to have an opening at the highest 
point of the roof, surmounted by a " lantern " of boards, put 
together in the well-known fashion of Venetian blinds. 

A south or south-east aspect is desirable, where it can be 
had ; and to have the house at the back either of a fire-place or 
a stable is a great advantage in winter ; but we have proved by 
long experience that both can be successfully dispensed with 
if only the two essentials are combined, of good ventilation with 
perfect shelter. 

We do not approve of too large a house. For half-a-dozen 
fowls, a very good size is five feet square, and sloping from six 
to eight feet high. The nests may then be placed on the ground 
at the back, where any eggs can be readily seen ; and one perch 
will roost all the birds. This perch, unless the breed kept is 
small, had better not be more than eighteen inches from the 
ground, and should be about four inches in diameter. A rough 
pole with the bark on answers best : the claws cling to it 



b GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

nicely, and bark is not so hard as planed wood. By far the 
greater number of perches are much too high and small ; the 
one fault causing heavy fowls to lame themselves in flying 
down, and the other producing deformed breastbones in the 
chickens — an occurrence disgraceful to any poultry-yard. The 
air at the top of any room or house is, moreover, much more 
impure than that nearer the floor. 

Many prefer a movable perch fixed on trestles. In large 
houses they are useful, but in a smaller they are needless. If 
the perch be placed at the height indicated, and a little in 
advance of the front edge of the nests, placed at the back, no 
hen-ladder will be required ; and the floor being left quite 
clear, will be cleaned with the greatest ease, while the fowls 
will feel no draught from the door. 

Besides the house for roosting and laying, a shed is neces- 
sary, to which the birds may resort in rainy weather. Should 
the house, indeed, be very large and have a good window, 
this is not absolutely needed ; otherwise it must be provided, 
and is better separate in any case. If this shed be fenced in 
with wire, so that the fowls may be strictly confined during wet 
weather, so much the better; for next to bad air, wet is by far 
the most fruitful source, not only of barrenness, but of illness 
and death in the poultry- yard. If the space available be very 
limited — say five or six feet by twelve or sixteen — the whole 
should be roofed over; when the house will occupy one end of 
the space, and the rest will form a covered " run." But in this 
case the shed should be so arranged that sun-light may reach 
the birds during some part of the day. They not only enjoy it, 
but without it, although adult fowls may be kept for a time in 
tolerable health, they droop sooner or later, and it is almost im- 
possible to rear healthy chickens. 

Should the range be wider, a shed from six to twenty feet 
long and four to eight wide may be reared against the wall. 
Next the fowl-house will still, for obvious reasons, be tho most 



CLEANLINESS. 7 

convenient arrangement, and it is also best fenced in, as before 
recommended. The whole roof should be in one to look neat, 
and should project about a foot beyond the enclosed space, to 
throw the water well off. To save the roof drippings from 
splashing in, a gutter-shoot will of course be provided, and the 
wire should be boarded up a foot from the ground. All this 
being carried out properly, the covered "run" ought at all 
times to be perfectly dry. 

The best flooring for the fowl-house is concrete made with 
strong, fresh-slaked hydraulic lime and pounded "clinkers," put 
down hot, well trodden once a day for a week, and finally 
smoothed. The process is troublesome, but the result is a floor 
which is not only very clean in itself, but easily kept so. 
Trodden earth will also answer very well. The floor of the 
shed may be the same, but, on the whole, it is preferable there 
to leave the natural loose earth, which the fowls delight to 
scratch in. 

Cleanliness must be attended to. In the house it is easily 
secured by laying a board under the perch, which can be 
scraped clean every morning in a moment, and the air the 
fowls breathe thus kept perfectly pure. Or the droppings may 
be taken up daily with a small hoe and a housemaid's common 
dustpan, after which a handful of ashes or sand lightly sprinkled 
will make the house all it should be. 

There is another most excellent plan for preserving clean- 
liness in the roosting-house, for which we are indebted to 
The Canada Farmer, and which is shown in Fig. 1. A broad 
shelf (a) is fixed at the back of the house, and the perch 
placed four or five inches above it, a foot from the wall. 
The nests are conveniently placed on the ground under- 
neath, and need no top, whilst they are perfectly protected 
from defilement and are also well shaded, to the great delight 
of the hen. The shelf is scraped clean every morning with the 
greatest ease and comfort, on account of its convenient height, 



8 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 



and slightly sanded afterwards ; whilst the floor of the house is 
never polluted at all by the roosting birds. The broad shelf 
has yet another recommendation in the perfect protection it 
affords from upward draughts of air. 




a Broad shelf, eighteen inches high. 

6 Perch, four inches above. 

Nests, open at top and in front. 



The covered " run " should be raked over two or three 
times a week, and dug over whenever it looks sodden or gives 
any offensive smell. Even this is not sufficient. Three or four 
times a year, two or three inches deep — in fact, the whole pol- 
luted soil — must be removed, and replaced by fresh earth, 
gravel, or ashes, as the case may be. 

Under the shed must be constantly kept a heap of dry 
dust or sifted ashes, for the fowls to roll in and cleanse them- 
selves in their own peculiar manner, which should be renewed 
as often as it becomes damp or foul from use. 

If chickens be a part of the intended plan, a separate com- 



POULTRY IN CONFINEMENT. 9 

partment should be provided for the sitting hens ; but this will 
be further treated of in a subsequent chapter. 

Many will wish to know what space is necessary. The 
"run" for the fowls should certainly be as large as can be 
afforded ; an extensive range is not only better for their health, 
but saves both trouble and food, as they will to a great extent 
forage for themselves. Yery few, however, can command this ; 
and poultry may be kept almost anywhere by bearing in mind 
the one important point, that the smaller the space in which 
they are confined, the greater and more constant attention 
must be bestowed upon the cleanliness of their domain. The^ 
decline rapidly in health and produce if kept on foul ground. 
If daily attention be given to this matter, a covered shed ten 
or twelve feet long by six feet wide, may be made to suffice for 
half a dozen fowls without any open run at all. By employing a 
layer of dry earth as a deodoriser, which is turned over every 
day and renewed once a week, the National Poultry Company 
kept for several years such a family in each pen of their large 
establishment at Bromley. These pens did not exceed the size 
mentioned, yet the adult fowls at least were in the highest 
health and condition ; and the company managed, with birds 
thus confined, to take many prizes at first-class shows. 

Poultry-keeping is, therefore, within the reach of all. The 
great thing is purity, which must be secured, either by space, 
or in default of that, by care. Hardy fowls will sometimes 
thrive in spite of draughts, exposure, and scanty food ; but 
the strongest birds speedily succumb to bad management in 
this particular, which is perhaps the most frequent cause of 
failure. It should also be remarked that poultry thus confined 
will require a different diet to those kept more at liberty ; but 
this will be more fully explained in a succeeding chapter. 

If the run be on the limited scale described, dry earth is 
decidedly the best deodoriser. It is, however, seldom at the 
command of those who have little space to spare, and sifted 



10 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

ashes an inch deep, spread over the floor of the whole shed, will 
answer very well. The ashes should be raked every other 
morning, and renewed at least every fortnight, or oftener if 
possible. Of course, the number of fowls must be limited : 
they should not exceed five or six, and unless a second shed of 
the same. size can be allowed, the rearing of chickens should not 
be attempted. 

To those who can give up a portion of their garden, the 
following plan of a poultry-yard can be confidently recom- 
mended. It represents, with very slight modification, our own 
present accommodation ; and having tested it by experience, we 
are prepared to say that it is not only more convenient, more 
simple, and more cheaply erected than any plan on a similar 
scale we have seen, but, with the addition of a lawn on which 
the chickens may be cooped, is adapted to rearing in the highest 
perfection any single variety of either ordinary or "fancy" 
fowls. The space required in all . is only twenty-five by 
thirty-five feet. If more can be afforded, give it, by all means; 
but we have found this, with very moderate care, amply 
sufficient, and we believe it will meet the requirements of a 
larger class of readers than any other we are acquainted 
with. 

The plan here given, it will be seen, comprises two distinct 
houses, sheds, and runs, with a separate compartment for 
sitting hens. The nests are placed on the ground at the back 
of the houses, and the perches, as before recommended, a foot in 
advance of them, and eighteen inches high. The holes by which 
the fowls enter open into the sheds, which ai*e netted in, so 
that in wet weather they can be altogether confined. In dry 
weather the shed is opened to give them liberty. The fencing 
should be boarded up a foot high, not only to prevent rain 
splashing in, but to keep in when necessary yoxtng chickens, 
which would otherwise run out between the meshes. 

A walk in front of the sheds should be gravelled, and the 




ELEVATION 




■ .5 



PLAN 

2,0 



SCALE 

Fig. 2. 



A A Boosting and laying houses. 
B B Fenced-in covered runs, 
C C Shed and run for sitting hen: 
DD Grass runs. 



a a Nests. 

b b Perches. 

c o Holes for fowls to enter. 



12 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

remainder of the open runs laid down in grass, which, if well 
rooted first, will bear small fowls upon it for several hours each 
day, but should be renewed in the spring by sowing when 
needed. The runs should be enclosed with wire netting, two 
inches mesh, which may be conveniently stretched on poles 
1^ inch square, driven two feet into the ground, and placed 
five feet apart. The height of the fence depends on the breed 
chosen. Cochins or Brahmas are easily retained within bounds 
by netting a yard high ; for moderate-sized fowls six feet will 
do; whilst to confine Game, Hamburghs, or Bantams, a fence 
of eight or nine feet will be found necessary. The netting 
should be simply stretched from post to post, without a rail at 
the top, as the inmates are then far less likely to attempt flying 
over. 

We do not like to see fowls with their wings cut. If their 
erratic propensities are troublesome, open one wing, and pluck 
out all the first or flight feathers, usually ten in number. This 
will effectually prevent the birds from flying, and as the primary 
quills are always tucked under the others when not in use, 
there is no external sign of the operation. 

The holes by which the fowls enter the houses should be 
furnished with trap doors, that they may be kept out at pleasure 
whilst either part is being cleaned. Each house must also 
have a small window. Having a shed at the side, ventilating 
lanterns will not be necessaiy, as the end will be attained by 
boring a few holes in the wall between the house and shed, 
towards the highest part of the roof. 

The compartment for the sitting hen maybe walled in at the 
front or not ; for ourselves, we prefer it open. Her run may 
also be covered over or not, at pleasure. To have it in the 
middle, as here shown, we consider most convenient; but in our 
own case this compartment is at the side, instead of between 
the two houses, which we built close together. This was 
rendered advisable on account of our shed having unavoidably a 



PLAN OF THE YARD. 13 

due easterly exposure ; and by so arranging the premises that 
each inhabited house should have one adjoining, we ensured 
to both one comparatively warm side, and thus, in a measure, 
counteracted the evil. We give this little bit of personal 
experience in order that the reader may see the way in which 
varying considerations are to be weighed before a plan is 
finally determined on. 

Such a yard possesses many advantages. Two separate runs 
are almost necessary if the rearing of chickens forms part of 
the plan of proceeding. It is also in some respects convenient 
to keep two different breeds, as one may supply the deficiencies 
of the other; and many persons consider it advisable to' 
separate the cocks and hens, except during the breeding season, 
believing that stronger chickens are obtained thereby. The 
need of the separate compartment for the sitting hens is further 
insisted on hereafter, but it has also other uses; being, when not 
so employed, often very convenient for the temporary reception 
of a pen of strange birds, for which there may be no other 
accommodation. 

Each run will accommodate from six to ten fowls, according 
to their size and habits. 

For those who purpose to engage in wholesale or prize 
poultry-breeding, more extensive designs will be given here- 
after; but enough has now been said to enable the intending 
poultry-keeper to select from the different plans here indicated 
the one best adapted to his particular situation, or, mayhap, to 
contrive a better one of his own. We have pointed out the 
essentials ; and these being provided for, operations can be 
commenced, and it becomes necessary to determine upon the 
plan of proceeding. This, however, will be more fully treated 
of in the next chapter. 



14 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

CHAPTER II. 

ON HIE SYSTEM OF OPERATIONS, AND THE SELECTION OF STOCK. 

When poultry are kept as a branch of domestic economics, it 
will be obvious that the system to be pursued should vary 
according to the extent of accommodation which can be 
afforded, and to the object sought. Both these considerations 
should be well weighed before operations are commenced; and the 
plan then determined upon as best adapted to the circumstances 
should, as long as those circumstances remain the same, be 
consistently carried out and adhered to. 

It very frequently happens that a regular supply of eggs is 
the sole object in view, and that neither the time, trouble, nor 
space required to rear chickens with success can well be spared. 
If, for instance, a covered shed fenced in with wire, as described 
in the last chapter, with a small house at the end for roosting 
and laying in, be the sole accommodation for the fowls, to 
attempt rearing them would be folly ; * and yet they may be 
kept so as to yield a good return upon their cost and main- 
tenance. The proper plan in such a case will be to purchase 
in the spring a number of hens proportioned to the size of the 
run, and none exceeding a year or eighteen months old. A 
cock is useless ; as hens lay, if there be any difference, rather 
better without one, and where eggs only are wanted, his food is 
thrown away. All these birds, if in good health and condition, 
will either be already laying, or will commence almost imme- 
diately ; and if well housed, as in the kst chapter, and 
properly fed, will ensure a constant supply of eggs until the 
autumnal moulting season. Whenever a hen shows any desire 
to sit, the propensity must of course be checked — not by the 

* It is not meant to be denied that chickens can be reared in such cir- 
cumstances, and that in good health and to a fair size. 'We have ourselves 
done so ; but it does not pay, and we do not intend to do it again. 



YOUNG BIRDS' TO BE SELECTED. 1 5 

barbarous expedient of half drowning the poor bird in cold 
water — a process generally as ineffectual as it is cruel, but, 
having allowed it to sit on the nest for four or five days, by 
shutting it up in a dark place, with plenty of water, but rather 
scanty food. The best plan is to invert a small cask, of which 
the head has been removed, upon three bricks. A hole being 
bored near the top for ventilation, this will make a capital pen 
for a " broody " hen, the food and water being placed just under 
the rim. A few days of such confinement will take away all 
desire to sit from almost any hens but Cochins, which should 
not be kept, on that account, under the circumstances we are 
considering ; and in about a fortnight the fowl, if not older than 
we have recommended, will begin to lay again. 

To buy only young and healthy birds is very important. 
An experienced hand can tell an old fowl at a glance, but it is 
rather difficult to impart this knowledge to a beginner, for no 
one sign is infallible, at least to an uninitiated interpreter. 
In general, however, it may be said that the legs of a young 
hen look delicate and smooth, her comb and wattles soft and 
fresh, and her general outline, even in good condition (unless 
fattened for the table), rather light and graceful ; whilst an old 
one will have rather hard, horny-looking shanks, her comb and 
wattles look somewhat harder, drier, and more "scurfy," and her 
figure is well filled out. But any of these indications may be 
deceptive, and the only advice we can give the reader is, to use 
his own powers of observation, and try and catch the " old 
look." He will soon do so, and need no further description. 

Directly these hens stop laying in the autumn, and before 
they have lost condition by moulting, they should, unless 
Hamburghs or Brahmas, be either killed or sold off, and re- 
placed by pullets hatched in March or April, which will have 
moulted early. These again, still supposing proper food and 
good housing, will all be producing eggs by November at 
furthestj and continue, more or less, till the February or March 



16 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

following. They may then either be disposed of, and replaced 
as before, which we should ourselves prefer, as they are just in 
prime condition for the table ; or, as they will not stop laying 
very long, the best of them may be retained till the autumn, 
when they must be got rid of* For if fowls be kept for eggs 
it is essential to success that every autumn the stock be replaced 
with pullets hatched early in the spring. By no other means 
can eggs at this season be relied upon, and the poultry-keeper 
must remember that it is the winter which determines whether 
he shall gain or lose by his stock ; in summer, if only kept 
moderately clean, hens will pay for themselves treated almost 
anyhow. The only exception to this rule is in the case of 
Cochins, Brahmas, or Hamburghs, which will lay through the 
winter up to their second, or even third year. 

The stock to be selected, if a pure strain be chosen, are 
Hamburgh or Spanish ; either, in favourable circumstances, 
will give a plentiful supply of eggs, and give no trouble on 
the score of sitting propensities. The Spanish lays five or six 
very large eggs a week in spring and summer, but is not a 
hardy or free-laying breed for winter, and must have a warm 
aspect and perfect shelter from wind, if the supply is to be kept 
up. Hamburghs are tolerably hardy, and are capital winter 
layers ; they also produce more eggs in a year than any other 
breed, laying almost every day except when moulting, and 
never wanting to sit ; but the eggs are rather small. More 
than four or five Hamburghs should not be put in a shed, and 
they must be kept scrupulously clean ; with these conditions 
they will thrive, but few breeds suffer so much from filth or 
overcrowding. Brahmas may also be strongly recommended. 
As layers, they are in the very first class ; are very tame, and 
bear confinement well ; and the tendency to sit does not 

* That is, if the greatest amount of profit be the object sought. The 
question of " pets," and the pleasure to be derived from them, we are not 
considering. 



PUKE BREEDS BEST. 17 

occur often enough to be troublesome, as in the case of 
Cochins. 

When there is a good wide range of any kind, nothing will 
be so profitable as a few Game hens, the black-breasted red 
vaiiety being best. The hens are as prolific as any breed 
whatever, and eat very little in proportion ; but they cannot 
be kept in close confinement on account of their fighting pro- 
pensities. 

For ourselves, we prefer pure breeds, or first crosses ; for 
after all is said on the superiority of mongrel fowls, where is 
the " barn-door " bird that will lay as many eggs as a Brahma 
or a Hamburgh ? Still, the cost of a good stock will stand in 
the way with many, and has to be taken into consideration ; 
and to those who cannot afford " fancy " poultry, it may there- 
fore be said once for all, that on the whole, equal success may 
be attained with ordinary or " barn-door " fowls. Care must 
be taken in the selection. They should be young, fair-sized, 
sprightly-looking birds, with plump, full breasts, rather short 
legs, and nice tight-looking plumage, after such a type as 
shown on page 171; they ought also to be chosen from a 
country yard, where their 'parents have been well fed. If 
such be obtained, they will repay the purchaser, and are hand- 
somer and better every way than inferior birds of the " fancy " 
class. Of course, this remark does not apply to mere faults 
of colour. Fowls are often to be met with at a moderate price, 
which from some irregularity of feather are quite disqualified 
as show birds, but which possess in perfection all the other merits 
of the breed to which they belong. Let such be secured and 
prized by all means; but let it be also remembered and be- 
lieved, that nothing pays so wretchedly as to begin " poultry- 
fancying" with inferior stock, and that really fine fowls which 
never had a grandfather are any day preferable to " degenerate 
descendants from a line of kings." 

It has been already remarked that the Cochin breeds are 

o 



18 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

excellent layers in winter, but that their invincible propensity 
to sit, which occurs every two months, or even less, is a fatal 
objection to their being kept by those who do not desire the 
care of young broods. If, however, the system adopted depend 
apon home-reared chickens to replenish the stock, one or two 
Cochin hens may be kept with great advantage, especially if the 
other fowls are Spanish or Hamburgh. The frequency of their 
desire to incubate now becomes a recommendation, as the owner 
can depend upon "a broody hen" at almost any season which 
may suit his views ; and if always parted with at the age of 
two years, they will not fail to maintain their deserved 
character as good winter layers. The number of such hens 
must depend upon circumstances. If it be only intended to 
replace from time to time the laying stock, or to hatch the eggs 
of non-sitting varieties, one or two Cochins will furnish more 
broods than will be required ; and when their services are no 
longer needed in this way, the desire to sit must be hindered 
as already described. In this case the eggs should be set in 
March or April, that the young pullets may begin to lay early. 
In proportion to the number of broods desired may the number 
of Cochins be increased ; and if a constant supply of chickens 
for the table be — as it often is — the main end in view, they 
may form a very considerable portion of the stock, and every 
hen may be set in turn. Their own eggs, of course, should not 
be given them if the chickens be for market, unless running 
with a Dorking, Houdan, or Crevecceur cock, either of which 
crosses produces a gigantic table-fowl of very fair edible 
qualities. For home use, however, Cochins are not to be 
despised when killed anywhere under nine months old ; they 
carry an immense quantity of solid meat ; and if this be more 
in the leg than could be desired, it must be also remembered 
that the said leg, though certainly not equal to breast or wing, 
is more tender than that of most other breeds. 

On the whole, however, if a good stock can be afforded, 



CHOICE OP BREEDS. 19 

and on-e or two broods of chickens yearly can be managed, we 
should, for domestic use, recommend Dark Brahmas. The 
light variety is also good, but the dai'k is the larger fowl, and 
looks best under confinement. If there be a double run, as 
described in Chapter L, the finest birds may be kept pure, and 
their eggs and progeny, when possible, sold at " fancy " prices ; 
whilst the hens which show faults of colour may be kept in 
the other run with a large coloured Dorking or Crevecceur 
cock. From this cross table-fowls may be obtained which 
" look like young turkeys," and being hardy are easily reared. 
The flesh may not be quite equal to that of the game fowl — in 
delicious flavour " the prince of all breeds " — but it equals the 
Dorking, with greater size, and freedom from that very delicate 
constitution which often renders the latter an unprofitable fowl. 
Dorkings, notwithstanding, are not to be despised, and will 
do well if they have a fair-sized run, well gravelled, and free 
from wet, with a good dry shed to shelter in. If the supply of 
table poultry be a main point, no breed, except perhaps 
Houdans, will compare with this, the favourite fowl of the 
London market. When of good stock, they may be got up to an 
amazing size, and the quality of the meat is excellent. They 
are also most exemplary mothers, and in moderate weather 
produce a very fair quantity of eggs ; but are not very good 
winter layers, even when hatched early. In this respect they 
are excelled by the recently-introduced Houdans, which lay very 
freely, and are also most hardy fowls, whilst in size and quality 
of flesh they equal the Dorking, whose blood, though perhaps 
generations back, we believe them to share, as evidenced by the 
general form and the peculiar fifth toe. We consider Houdans 
pre-eminently the breed for the farmer. They will ultimately 
be bred larger than even Dorkings, which they equal now; and 
their extreme hardiness, quick growth, and excellent laying, 
give us a fowl with nearly all the excellences and but little of 
the faults of the fine old English breed. 

C 2 



20 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

On the whole, therefore, of the pure breeds, we should 
pronounce Houdans to be the farmer's, and Brahmas the 
family fowl, crossing the table-chickens from the latter "with 
Dorking or not, according as there were one or two runs to 
keep tliem in. If a few eggs daily be the object, our own 
choice would be four or five spangled Haniburghs, provided 
there be a moderate run, or even a good-sized shed, and they 
be kept scrupulously clean and well sheltered from driving 
wind or rain. If the space be very limited, and economy be im- 
portant, we would select four or five red-faced Spanish, or, as 
they are now called, Minorcas ; they lay at least as well as 
their celebrated white-faced cousins, while they are far hardier 
in winter, and stand confinement very well ; their price, also, 
being often very little more than that of common hens. In de- 
fault of either of these, however, and if all be beyond the means 
of the speculator, we would undertake to show a satisfactory 
balance-sheet with any good,, lively ordinary fowls. 

Let us, however, repeat again— for nothing is so im- 
portant — whatever be the breed selected, there must be every 
autumn a proportion, at least, regularly replaced by young 
birds hatched in the spring of the same year. This is the great 
secret of success, as far as system is concerned ; and if it be 
neglected, during winter an empty egg-basket will eat up all the 
summer's profits, and testify dismally to the improvidence of 
the owner. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE FEEDING AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF ADULT FOWLS. 

A judicious system of feeding is very essential to the well- 
being of poultry, and has, of course, more direct influence upon 
the profit or loss than any of the circumstances — though 
equally important — which we have hitherto enumerated. We 



POULTRY USUALLY OVERFED. 21 

shall, therefore, endeavour to give the subject a full, practical 
consideration. 

The object is to give the quantity and quality of food which 
will produce the greatest amount of flesh and eggs ; and if it 
bo attained, the domestic fowl is unquestionably the most profit- 
able of all live stock. But the problem is rather a nice one. 
for there is no "mistake on the right side" here. A. fat hen 
is not only subject to many diseases, but ceases to lay, or nearly 
so, and becomes a mere drag on the concern ; while a pampered 
male bird is lazy and useless at best, and very probably, when 
the proprietor most requires his services, may be attacked by 
apoplexy and drop down dead. 

That fowls cannot be remunerative if starved need scarcely 
be proved. Ex nihilo nihil jit ; and the almost daily production 
of an article so rich in nitrogen as an egg — the very essence of 
animal nourishment — must demand an ample and regular supply 
of adequate food. "We say no more upon this point, knowing 
that the common mistake of nea^dy all amateur poultry-keepers 
is upon the other side — that of over-feeding. 

The usual plan, where fowls are regularly fed at all, appears 
to be to give the birds at each meal as much barley or oats as 
they will eat ; and this being done, the owner prides himself 
upon his liberality, and insists that his at least are properly fed. 
Yet both in quantity and quality is he mistaken. Grain will 
do for the regular meals of fowls which live on a farm, or have 
any other extensive range where they can provide other food 
for themselves, have abundant exercise, and their digestive 
organs are kept in vigorous action. But poultry kept in con- 
finement on such a diet will not thrive. Their plumage, after 
a while, begins to fall off, their bowels become affected, and they 
lose greatly in condition; and though in summer their eggs may 
possibly repay the food expended, it will be almost impossible 
to obtain any in winter, when they are most valuable. 

Even those who profess to correct such errors are not always 



22 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

safe guides. We have before us a work that stands high both, 
in character and price, and is in many respects really valuable, 
in which, just after a caution against overfeeding, the editor 
gives five pounds of barley meal, ten pounds of potatoes, seven 
pounds of oats, three pounds of rice boiled, and three pounds of 
scalded bran, as a week's allowance for five hens and a cock — 
" of the larger kinds " it is true. Now, at the lowest ordinary 
prices the cost of such a scale would amount to, at least, £4 4s. 
in the course of twelve months ; and taking eggs at the high 
average of a penny each all the year through, every one of the 
five hens must lay, at least, 200 eggs to repay the mere cost of 
their subsistence. When we say that 150 eggs per annum is 
as much as can be obtained from nine hens out of ten, it will 
be seen at once that poultry could not be made profitable did 
they consume so enormously; and, in point of fact, we had the 
curiosity to try this dietary upon six fowls " of the larger 
kinds," and found it rather more than double what was 
amply sufficient. 

The fact is, all fixed scales are delusive. Not only would 
Cochins or Crevecoeurs eat twice as much as many other sorts ; 
but different fowls of the same breed often have very different 
measures of capacity, and even the same hen will eat nearly 
twice as much while in active laying as when her egg-organs 
are unproductive 

The one simple rule with adult fowls is, to give them as 
much as they will eat eagerly, and no more; directly they 
begin to feed with apparent indifference, or cease to run when 
the food is thrown at a little distance, the supply should be 
stopped. In a state of nature, they have to seek far and wide 
for the scanty morsels which form their subsistence ; and the 
Creator never intended that they, any more than human 
beings, should eat till they can literally eat no more. It 
follows, from this rule, that food should never be left on the 
ground. If such a slovenly practice be permitted, much of what 



IMPORTANCE OF CORKECT FEEDING. 23 

is eaten will be wasted, and a great deal will never be eaten at 
all ; for fowls are dainty in tbeir way, and nnless at starvation 
point always refuse sour or sodden food. 

The number of meals per day best consistent with real 
economy will vary from two to three, according to the size of 
the run. If it be of moderate extent, so that they can, in any 
degree, forage for themselves, two are quite sufficient, at least 
in summer, and should be given early in the morning, and the 
last tiling before the birds go to roost. In any case, these will 
be the principal meals ; but when the fowls are kept in con- 
finement, they will require, in addition, a scanty feed at 
mid-day. 

The first feeding should consist of soft food of some kind. 
The birds have passed a whole night since they were last fed ; 
and it is important, especially in cold weather, that a fresh 
supply should as soon as possible be got into the system, and 
not merely into the crop. But if grain be given, it has to be 
ground in the poor bird's gizzard before it can be digested ; and 
on a cold winter's morning the delay is anything but beneficial. 
But for the very same reason, at the evening meal grain forms 
the best food which can be supplied ; it is digested sltowly, and 
during the long cold nights affords support and warmth to the 
fowls. 

A great deal depends upon this system of feeding, which 
we are aware is opposed to the practice of many, who give 
grain for the breakfast, and meal, if at all, at night. We believe 
such a system to be usually adopted from indolence ; it is 
easier to throw down dry grain in a winter's morning than to 
properly prepare a feed of meal, which is accordingly given at 
night instead. Fowls so treated, however-, are much more 
subject to roup and other diseases caused by inclement weather 
than those fed upon the system we recommend — a system not 
only m accordance with theory and our own experience, but 
with that of the most successful breeders. Let the sceptical 



24 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

reader make one simple experiment. Give the fowls a feed of 
meal, say at five o'clock in the evening ; at twelve visit the 
roosts, and feel the crops of the poor birds. All will be empty ; 
the gizzard has nothing to act upon, and the food speedily 
disappears, leaving with an empty stomach, to cope with the 
long cold hours before dawn, the most hungry and incessant 
feeder of all God's creatures ; but if the last feed has been 
grain, the crop will still be found partially full, and the bh'ds 
will awake in the morning hearty, strengthened, and refreshed. 

"With respect to the morning meal of pultaceous food, 
when only a few fowls are kept, to supply eggs for a moderate 
family, this may be provided almost for nothing by boiling 
daily the potato peelings till soft, and mashing them up with 
enoixgh bran, slightly scalded, to make a tolerably stiff and dry 
paste. There will be more than sufficient of this if the fowls 
kept do not exceed one for each member of the household ; and 
as the peelings cost nothing, and the bi\an very little, one half 
the food is provided at a merely nominal expense, while no 
better could be given. A little salt should always be added, 
and in winter a slight seasoning of pepper will tend to keep 
the hens in good health and laying. This food may be mixed 
boiling hot over night, and covered with a cloth, or be put in 
the oven ; in either case it will remain warm till morning — ■ 
the condition in which it should always be given in cold 
weather. 

If a tolerable stock of poultry be kept, such a source of 
supply will be obviously inadequate ; and in purchasing the 
food there is much variety to choose from. Small or " pig " 
potatoes may be bought at a low price and similarly treated ; 
or barley-meal may be mixed with hot water ; or an equal 
mixture of meal and " sharps," or of Indian meal and bran ; 
either of these make a capital food. Or, if offered on reasonable 
terms, a cart-load of swede or other turnips, or mangel-wurtzel, 
may be purchased ; and when boiled and mashed with meal or 



ANALYSIS OP VARIOUS FOODS. 



25 



"sharps," we believe forms the very best soft food a fowl can 
have, especially for Dorkings ; but they cannot everywhere be 
obtained at a cheap rate, and the buyer must study the local 
market. 

A change of food, at times, will be beneficial, and in 
making it the poultry-keeper should be guided by the season. 
When the weather is warm, and the production of eggs 
abundant, the food should abound in nitrogenous or flesh- 
forming material, and not contain too much starch or oil, both 
of which, being carbonaceous, have warmth-giving and fattening 
properties; but when the cold weather approaches, and the 
eggs even of good winter layers are fewer than in summer, less 
of nitrogenous and more of carbonaceous food will be needed. 
The following table has been often copied since its first publica- 
tion in the " Poultry Diary ; " but its practical usefulness is so 
obvious that we make no apology for giving it here, with some 
modification to make the proportion of warmth-giving to flesh- 
forming ingredients more plain. 



There is in every 
100 lbs. of 


Flesh-forming 
Food. 


Waimth-giving 
Food. 


Bone-mating 
Food. 


Husk 

or 
Fibre. 


Water. 


Gluten, &c. 


Fat or OH. 


Starch,&c. 


Mineral 
Substance. 


Oata 


15 
18 

18 

12 
11 
11 
7 
25 
H 


6 
6 

6 

3 

2 

8 

A trace. 

2 

3 


47 
63 

53 

70 
60 
65 
80 
48 
5 


2 
2 

5 

2 
2 

1 
A trace 
2 
1 


20 
2 

4 

1 
14 

5 

8 


10 


Oatmeal 

Middlings or 1 

fine Sharps / 

Wheat 


9 
14 

12 




11 


Indian Corn... 


10 
13 


Beans & Peas 
Milk 


15 
86J 







To show the practical use of this table, it may be observed 
that whilst "sharps" or "middlings," from its flesh-forming 
material is one of the best summer ingredients, in winter it 
may be advantageous to change it for a portion of Indian meal. 



26 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

It is, however, necessary to avoid giving too great a proportion 
of maize, either as meal or corn, or the effect will be a useless and 
prejudicial fattening from the large quantity of oil it contains ; 
it is best mixed with barley or bean-meal, and is then a most 
economical and useful food. Potatoes, also, from the large 
proportion of starch contained in them, are not good unmixed 
as a regular diet for poultry; but mixed with bran or meal 
will be found most conducive to condition and laying. 

In mixing soft food, there is one general rule always to be 
observed : it must be mixed rather dry, so that it will break if 
thrown upon the ground. There should never be enough 
water to cause the food to glisten in the light, or to make a sticky 
porridgy mass, which clings round the beaks of the fowls and 
gives them infinite annoyance, besides often causing diarrhoea. 

If the weather be dry, and the birds are fed in a hard 
gravelled yard, the food is just as well, or better, thrown on the 

^ — ■ - - „s-_-r^jE> ». ground. If they are fed in the shed, 
however, it is best to use an oblong 



dish of zinc, or, preferably, earthenware, 
Pig. 3. such as represented in Fig. 3. The 

trough or dish must, however, be protected, or the fowls will 
walk upon it, scratch earth into it, and waste a large portion ; 
and this is best prevented by hav- 
ing a loose curved cover made of 
tin and wire, as shown in Fig. 4, 
which, when placed on the ground 
over the dish, will effectually pre 
vent the fowls having anything to 
do with the food except to eat it, 
g " ' which they are quite at liberty to 

do through the perpendicular wires, two and a-half inches 
apart. Many experienced poultry-keepers prefer to drive the 
wires into the ground, leaving them six inches high ; the 
trough is then put behind them, and a board laid over, leaning 




ANIMAL FOOD NECESSARY, 27 

on the top of the wires. The effect of such a plan is pre- 
cisely similar as regards the protection of the food, and its 
only disadvantage is, that the wires being always in the ground 
rather hinder the sweeping of the shed. For thi3 reason we 
contrived the above cover, and consider it the best, as it is 
certainly the most convenient plan. 

If the fowls have a field to ran in they will require no 
further feeding till their evening meal of grain. Taking it 
altogether, no grain is more useful or economical than barley, 
and in summer this may be occasionally changed with oats ; in 
winter, for the reasons already given, Indian corn may be 
given every second or third day with advantage. Buckwheat 
is, chemically, almost identical in composition with barley, but 
it certainly has a stimulating effect on the production of eggs, 
and it is a pity it cannot be more frequently obtained at a 
cheap rate. We never omit purchasing a sack of this grain 
when we can, and have a strong opinion that the enormous 
production of eggs and fowls in France is to some extent con- 
nected with the almost universal use of buckwheat by French 
poultry-keepers. Wheat is generally too dear to be employed, 
unless damaged, and if the damage be great it had better not 
be meddled with ; but if only slightly injured, or if a good 
sample be offered of light " tail " wheat, as it is called, it is a 
most valuable food, both for chickens and fowls. " Sweepings " 
sometimes contain poisonous substances ; are invariably dearer, 
weight for weight, than sound grain; and should never be seen 
in a poultry- yard. 

The mid-day meal of penned-up fowls should be only a 
scanty one, and may consist either of soft food or grain, as most 
convenient — meal preferably in cold weather. 

The regular and substantial diet is now provided for, but 
will not alone keep the fowls in good health and laying. They 
are omnivorous in their natural state, and require some poition 
of animal food, On a wide range they will provide this for 



28 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OP FOWLS 

themselves, and in such an establishment as figured at page 11, 
the scraps of the dinner-table will be quite sufficient; but if the 
number kept be large, with only limited accommodation, it will 
be necessary to buy every week a few pennyworth of bullocks' 
liver, which may be boiled, chopped fine, and mixed in their 
food, the broth being used instead of water in mixing ; these 
little tit-bits will be eagerly picked out and enjoyed. A very 
little is all that is necessary, and need not be given more than 
three times a week. If fowls be much over-fed with this kind 
of food the quills of the feathers become more or less charged 
with blood, which the birds in time perceive, and almost in- 
variably peck at each other's plumage till they leave the skin 
quite bare. It is also necessary to give a caution against the 
use of greaves, so much recommended, for obvious reasons, by 
the vendors. When fowls are habitually fed upon this ai'ticle 
their feathers speedily become disarranged and fall off, and 
when killed the flavour, to any ordinary palate, is disgusting. 

There is yet another most important article of diet, without 
which it is absolutely impossible to keep fowls in health. We 
refer to an ample and daily supply of green or fresh vegetable 
food. It is not perhaps too much to say, that the omission of 
this is the proximate cause of nearly half the deaths where 
fowls are kept in confinement ; whilst with it, our other direc- 
tions having been observed, they may be kept in health for a 
long time in a pen only a few feet square. It was to provide this 
that we recommended the open yards, in page 11, to be laid 
down in grass — the very best green food for poultry ; and a 
run of even an hour daily on such a grass plot, supposing the 
shed to be dry and clean, will keep them in vigorous health, 
and not be more than the grass will bear. But if a shed only 
be available, fresh vegetables must be thrown in daily. Any- 
thing will do. A good plan is to mince up cabbage-leaves or 
other refuse vegetables, and mix pretty freely with the soft 
food ; or the whole leaves may be thrown down for the fowls 



FRESH WATER. 



to devour; or a few turnips may be minced up daily, and 
scattered like grain, or simply cut in two and thrown into the 
run ; or if it can be got, a large sod of fresb-cut turf thrown 
to the fowls will be better than all. Bat something they must 
have every day, or nearly so, otherwise their bowels sooner or 
later become disordered, their feathers look dirty, and their 
combs lose that beautiful bright red colour which will always 
accompany really good health and condition, and testifies 
pleasantly to abundance of eggs. 

The water vessel must be filled fresh every day at least, and 
so arranged that the birds cannot scratch dirt into it, or make 
it foul. The ordinary poultry-fountain is too well known to 
need description, but a rather better form than is usually made 
is shown in Fig. 5. The advantages of 
such a construction are two : the top 
being open, and fitted with a cork, the 
state of the interior can be examined, 
and the vessel well sluiced through to 
remove the green slime which always 
collects by degrees, and is very preju- 
dicial to health ; and the trough being 
slightly raised from the ground, instead 
of upon it, the water is less easily fouled. 
But either form, if placed with the 
trough towards the wall, at a few inches distance from it, will 
keep the water clean very well. Some experienced breeders 
prefer shallow pans ; but if these be adopted they must be 
either put behind rails, with a board over, or protected by 
a cover, in the same way as the feeding troughs already 
described. 

Fowls must never be left without water. During a frost, 
therefore, the fountain should be emptied every night, or there 
will be trouble next morning. Care must always be taken also 
that snow is not allowed to fall into the drinking vessel. Th© 




30 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

reason has puzzled wiser heads than ours; but it is a, fact, that 
any real quantity of snow-water seems to reduce both fowls 
and birds to mere skeletons. 

It is well in winter to add to the water a few drops of a 
solution of sulphate of iron (green vitriol), just enough to give 
a slight mineral taste. This will, in a great measure, guard 
against roup, and act as a bracing tonic generally. The rusty 
appearance the water will assume is quite immaterial. The 
best plan, perhaps, is to keep a large bottle of the celebrated 
" Douglas* mixture," respecting which we can speak with un- 
qualified approval, as a most valuable addition to the drink in 
cold weather of both fowls and chickens. It consists of half a 
pound of sulphate of iron and one ounce of sulphuric acid dis- 
solved in two gallons of water ; and is to be added in the 
proportion of a tea-spoonful to each pint of water in the 
fountain. 

Whilst the fowls are moulting, the above mixture, or a 
little sulphate of iron, should always be used ; it will assist 
them greatly through this, the most critical period of the 
whole year. A little hemp-seed should also be given every 
day at this season, at least to all fowls of value ; and with 
these aids, and a little pepper on their food, with perhaps a 
little extra meat, or even a little ale during the few weeks the 
process lasts, there will rarely be any lost. With hardy kinds 
and good shelter such precautions are scarcely necessary, but 
they cost little, and have their effect also on the early re- 
commencement of laying. 

In addition to their regular food it will be needful that the 
fowls have a supply of lime, in some shape or other, to form 
the shells of their eggs. Old mortar pounded is excellent ; so 
are oyster-shells well burnt in the fire and pulverised ; of the 
latter they are very fond, and it is an excellent plan to keep 

* So culled because published in the Field newspaper by Mr. John 
Douglas, then superintending the Wolseley A.viaries. 



VALUE OF POULTRY MANURE. 31 

a " tree-saucer " full of it iu their yard. If tliis matter has 
been neglected, and soft shell-less eggs have resulted, the 
quickest way of getting matters right again is to add a little 
lime to the drinking water. 

We shall conclude this chapter with a few further remarks 
respecting general management. 

"With regard to the nests, they may be of any form, but are 
best upon the ground. A long box may be employed, divided 
by partitions into separate compartments ; or separate laying- 
boxes may be used, which is preferable, as more easily cleaned. 
Many like baskets, made flat on one side, and hung to a nail in 
the wall; these should be of wire, and then cannot harbour 
vermin — the great plague of fowls. The straw should be broken 
and beaten till it is quite soft, and changed as often as there is 
any foul or musty smell. If the nests are offensive the hens 
will often drop their eggs, quite perfect, upon the ground 
rather than resort to them. 

Cleanliness in the house and run has already been insisted 
upon, and is only again alluded to on account of the value of 
the manure. This, collected daily, should be put in any con- 
venient receptacle where it can be kept dry, and either used in 
the garden, if there is one, or sold. It pays best to use it 
where possible ; it should always be mixed with earth, being 
very strong, and is especially valuable for all plants of the 
cabbage kind ; it is also excellent for growing strawberries, or 
indeed almost anything if sufficiently diluted. If there be no 
possibility of so using it, it is worth at least seven shillings 
per cwt. to sell, and is greatly valued by all nurserymen and 
gardeners who know its value ; but there is sometimes difficulty 
in finding those who do, and getting a fair price. The lowest 
price we ever knew offered, however, was three shillings per 
cwt. At seven shillings (which we believe to be about a fair 
value, compared with that of guano, on account of the moisture 
contained) we consider the value of the manure equal to fully 



32 GENEBAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

one-fifth — perhaps one-fourth would be nearer the mark — of 
the total profit from the fowls. It is, therefore, an item too 
important to be neglected. 

Where a considerable number of fowls are killed annually 
the feathers also become of value, and should be preserved. 
They are very easily dressed at home. Strip the plumage from 
the quills of the larger feathers, and mix with the small 
ones, putting the whole loosely in paper bags, which should be 
hung up in the kitchen, or some other warm place, for a few 
days to dry. Then let the bags be baked three or four times, 
for half an hour each time, in a cool oven, drying for two days 
between each baking, and the process will be completed. Less 
trouble than this will do, and is often made to suffice ; but the 
feathers are inferior in crispness to those so treated, and may 
occasionally become offensive. 

Eggs should be collected regularly, if possible twice every 
day ; and if any chickens are to be reared from the home stock, 
the owner or attendant should learn to recognise the egg of 
each particular hen. There is no difficulty in this, even with a 
considerable number — nearly every egg, to the accustomed eye, 
has a. well-marked individual character; and if there be any 
hens of value, it may save much disappointment in the character 
of the brood to know the parentage of those selected for 
hatching. 

Before concluding, it may be expected that something 
definite should be said respecting the actual profit of what may 
be called domestic poultry-keeping. It is extremely difficult 
to make any such statement, so much depends upon the price 
of food, upon the management, selection of stock, and value of 
eggs. But in general we have found the average cost of fowls, 
when properly fed, to be about Id. per week each for ordinary 
sorts, and not exceeding l^d. per week for the larger breeds; 
when the cost is more we should suspect waste. A good 
ordinary hen ought to lay 120 eggs in a year and if good laying 



IMPORTANCE OF SYSTFM. 33 

breeds are selected, such as we have named in Chapter II., 
there ought to be an average of fully 150, not reckoning the 
cock, whilst Game or Hamburghs will exceed 200 per annum. 
Of course, good management is supposed, and a regular renewal 
of young stock, as already insisted upon. For domestic purposes 
eggs ought to be valued at the price of new-laid, and from these 
data each can make his own calculation. The value of the 
manure, when it can be sold or used, we consider is about 9d. 
to Is. per annum for each fowl. 

Finally, let the whole undertaking — large or small — be con- 
ducted as a real matter of business. If more than three or 
four hens are kept, buy the food wholesale, and in the best 
market ; let the grain be purchased a sack at a time — potatoes 
by the cart-load or hundred- weight, and so on. Let a fair and 
strict account be kept of the whole concern. The scraps of the 
house may be thrown in, and the cost of the original stock, and 
of their habitations, may be kept separate, and reckoned as 
capital invested ; but let everything afterwards for which cash 
is paid be rigorously set down, and on the other side, with 
equal strictness, let every egg or chicken eaten or sold be also 
valued and recorded. This is of great importance. The young 
beginner may, perhaps, manage his laying-stock well, but suc- 
ceed badly with his chickens (though not, we hope, if he be a 
reader of this book),-' or vice versa ; and it is no small matter in 
poultry-keeping, as in any other mercantile concern, to be able 
to see from recorded facts where has been the profit or where 
the loss. The discovery will lead to reflection ; and the waste, 
neglect, or other defective management being amended, the 
hitherto faulty department will also contribute its quota to the 
general weal. 



34 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

CHAPTER IT. 

INCUBATION. 

Much disappointment in the hatching and rearing of young 
broods would be prevented were more care taken that the eggs 
selected for setting were of good quality — not only likely to be 
fertile, but the produce of strong and hardy birds. This re- 
mark applies to common barn-door poultry quite as much as to 
the pure breeds. A friend recently complained to us, that out 
of a dozen eggs only four or five had hatched ; and on inquiry, 
we found that the sitting had been procured from an inn-yard, 
where, to our own knowledge, only one cock was running with 
about twenty hens, from which of course no better result could 
be expected. When the eggs have to be procured from else- 
where, therefore, whatever be the clas3 of fowls required, it 
should first of all be ascertained that there is at least one cock 
to every six or eight hens, and that he be a strong and lively 
bird ; and next, that the fowls be not only of the kind desired, 
but that they are well fed and taken care of. From scraggy, 
half-starved birds it is impossible to rear a large brood, as the 
greater number even of those hatched will dio in infancy. It 
only remains to ensure that the eggs be fresh, and a successful 
hatching may be anticipated. 

With regard to this latter point, eggs have been known to 
hatch when two months old, or even more ; but we would 
never ourselves set, from choice, any egg which had been laid 
more than a fortnight ; and after a month, or less, it is useless 
trouble. Fresh eggs, if all be well, hatch out in good time, and 
the chicks are strong and lively ; the stale ones always hatch 
last, being perhaps as much as two days later than new-laid, and 
the chickens are often too weak to break the shell. We have 
also invariably noticed, when compelled to take a portion of 
stale egg3 to make up a sitting, that even when such eggs have 



SELECTION OF EGGS. 35 

hatched, the subsequent deaths have principally occurred in 
this portion of the brood ; but that if none of the eggs were 
more than four or five days old, they not only hatched nearly 
every one, and within an hour or two of each other, but the 
losses in any ordinary season were very few. 

When the eggs are from the home stock, their quality 
should, of course, be above suspicion. It is scarcely necessary 
to say, that in order to ensure this, every egg before storing 
should have legibly written upon it in pencil the date on which 
it was laid. Eggs intended for setting are best kept in bran, 
the large end downward, and should never be exposed to 
concussion. Another very good plan is to have a large board 
pierced with a number of round holes in regular rows to receive 
the eggs. 

Hundreds of years ago it was thought that the sex of 
eggs could be distinguished by the shape — the cocks being pro- 
duced from those of elongated shape, and hens from the short 
or round. Others have pretended to discern the future sex 
from the position of the air-bubble at the large end. We need 
scarcely say, that these and every other nostrum have, hundreds 
of times, been proved to be erroneous. There is not a breeder 
of prize poultry in England who would not gladly give twenty 
pounds for the coveted knowledge, and thenceforth breed no 
more cockerels than he really wanted ; but the secret has never 
been discovered yet, and it is even impossible to tell before the 
egg has been sat upon a short time whether it has been 
fecundated. 

We have, in a previous chapter, already mentioned that the 
sitting hens ought to have a separate shed and run provided for 
them, in order that the other hens may not occupy their nests 
during absence, or they themselves go back to the wrong ones, 
as they will often do if allowed to sit in the fowl-house. Even 
in a very small domestic establishment we strongly recommend 
that the small additional space requisite be devoted to this 

n 2 



60 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

purpose, for all our experience has proved that, whatever suc- 
cess-may be obtained otherwise by constant care and watchful- 
ness, it is never so great as when the sitter can be shut into a 
separate run, and be entirely unmolested. An extensive run is 
neither necessary nor desirable, as it. only entices the birds to 
wander, whereas, in a limited space, they will go back to their 
nests as soon as their wants are satisfied. A shed five feet 
square, with a run the same width for ten feet out in front, is 
quite sufficient for three hens. 

If the hen must be set on the ordinary nest in the fowl- 
house, unless she can be watched every day to see that all goes 
right, it is best to take her off at a regular time every morning, 
and after seeing to her wants and due return, to shut her in so 
that she cannot be annoyed. She should be lifted by taking 
hold under the wings, gently raising them first to see that no 
eggs ai'e enclosed. Very fair success may be attained by this 
method of management, which is obviously almost imperative 
in very large establishments, where numerous hens must be 
sitting at one time ; but where such large numbers do not 
allow of a special poultry attendant it is rather troublesome, 
and on an average there will be a chicken or two less than if 
the hens can be put quite apart, where they need neither be 
(patched nor interfered with. Since we adopted this plan we 
have, from good eggs, always hatched at least nine out of 
twelve, and generally more; and have had no trouble nor 
anxiety till the broods were actually hatched, which is any- 
thing but the case on the other system. 

With respect to the arrangement of the hatching run, it 
should, if possible, be in sight of the other fowls, as it will keep 
the sitter from becoming strange to her companions, and pre- 
vent an otherwise inevitable fight on her restoration, to the 
possible damage of the brood. We prefer ourselves, as stated 
in the first chapter, a shed five feet wide and five deep, open in 
front to a small gravel or grass run. Under the shed must be, 



CHOICE OF THE HEN 37 

besides the nests, a good-sized shallow box of sand, dry earth, 
or fine coal ashes, for the hen to cleanse herself in, which she 
specially needs at this time; and food and water must be 
always ready for her. "With these precautions the hen may 
and should in nearly every case, with the exceptions presently 
mentioned, be left entirely to herself. There are, however, 
some birds which, if not removed, would starve upon theii 
nests sooner than leave them; and therefore if the hen has 
not been off for two or three days (we would test her for that 
time first), we should certainly remove the poor thing for her 
own preservation. To feed upon the nest is a cruel practice, 
which has crippled many a fowl for life, and canriot be too 
strongly condemned. 

Of all mothers we prefer Cochins or Brahmas. Their 
abundant " fluff " and feathering is of inestimable advantage 
to the young chicks, and their tame and gentle disposition 
makes them submit to any amount of handling or manage- 
ment with great docility. Cochins certainly appear clumsy 
with their feet, but we have never found more chickens 
actually trodden upon by them than with any other breed. 
Many complain that they leave their chickens too soon, but 
we have not found it so ourselves. If they are kept cooped 
instead of being set at liberty they will brood their chickens 
for at least two months, °.ven till they have laid a second batch 
of eggs and desire to sit again ; and by that time any brood is 
able to do without a mother's care. . With regard to Brahmas 
as mothers, they have a peculiarity we never observed in any 
other fowl, and have never seen noticed in any work on poultry 
— they actually appear to look behind them when moving, lest 
they should tread upon their little ones. Dorkings, also, are 
exemplary mothers, and go with their chickens a long time, 
which recommends them strongly for very early broods. And 
lastly, a Game hen has qualities which often make her nioat 
valuable. She is not only exemplary in her care, and a super. 



38 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 



excellent forager for her young brood, but will defend them to 
the last gasp, and render a good account of the most deter- 
mined cat that ever existed; indeed, we would almost defy any 
single creature whatever, quadruped or otherwise, to steal a 
chick in daylight from a well-bred Game hen. But whatever 
be the hen chosen, she should be well feathered, moderately 
short-legged, and tolerably tame. Very high authority* has 
affirmed that only mature hens should be allowed to sit, and 
that pullets are not to be trusted ; but our own experience and 
that of very many large breeders does not confirm this. We 
have constantly set pullets, and never had any more reason to 
complain of them than of older birds. 

The nests may be arranged under the shed any way so that 
no one can see into them, with the one proviso that they be 
actually upon the ground. Chicks thus obtained always show 
more constitution than those hatched on a wooden bottom at a 
higher level. This holds good even at all times of the year. 
We are aware that eminent authorities who recommend ground- 
nests in summer, prefer a warm, wooden box in winter for 
the sake of the hen ; but she will rarely 
suffer. The heat of her body whilst sit- 
llllij. ^""""^ ting is so great that a cool situation seems 

grateful to her — at least, a hen set on the 
ground rarely forsakes her nest, which is 
otherwise no uncommon case. We knew 
of a hen which, during the month of 
January, made her nest upon the top of 
a rock in one of the highest and most 
exposed situations in the Peak of Derbyshire, and brought a 
large brood of strong chickens into the yard. It is only neces- 
sary the birds should be protected from wind and rain, in order 
to avoid rheumatism ; and this is most effectually done by 
employing for the nest a tight wooden box, like Fig. 6, open at 

* Mrs. Fergusson Blair. 




IMPORTANCE OF MOISTURE. 39 

the bottom, and also in front, with the exception of a strip 
three inches high to contain the straw. Let one of these 
boxes be placed in the back corner of the shed, touching the 
side, the front being turned to the back wall, and about nine 
iuches from it ; and the hen will be in the strictest privacy, 
will be both perfectly sheltered and kept cool, and will never 
mistake her own nest for the one which may be placed 
in the other corner. If a third must be made room for, let 
her nest be placed the same distance from the wall midway 
between the others, and like them, with the front of the nest 
to the back of the shed. There will then be still nearly a foot 
between each two nests for the birds to pass. 

A damp situation is best for the sitting shed, and will 
ensure good hatching in hot weather, when perhaps all the 
neighbours are complaining that their chicks are dead in the 
shells. Attempting to keep the nest and eggs dry has ruined 
many a brood. It is not so in nature ; every morning the hen 
leaves her nest, and has to seek her precarious meal through 
the long, wet grass, which drenches her as if she had been 
ducked in a pond. With this saturated breast she returns, and 
the eggs are duly moistened. But if the nest be dry, the hen 
be kept dry, and the weather happen to be hot and dry also, the 
moisture within the egg itself becomes dried to the consistency 
of glue, and the poor little chick, being unable to move round 
within the shell, cannot fracture it, and perishes. Such a mis- 
hap will not happen if the ground under the nest be damp and 
cool. All that is necessary in such a case is to scrape a slight 
hollow in the bare earth, place the nest-box, already described, 
over it, and put in a moderate quantity of straw cut into two- 
inch lengths ; or, still better, some fresh- cut damp grass may be 
put in first, and the straw over. Shape the straw also into a 
very slight hollow, and the nest is made; but care must be 
taken to well nil up the corners of the box, or the eggs may be 
rolled into them and get addled. Some prefer to put in first a 



40 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

fresh turf ; but if the nest be on the bare ground, as we recom- 
mend, this is useless. In any case, the straw should be cut into 
short lengths for a hatching nest, and the neglect of this pre- 
caution is the most frequent cause of breakage ; the hen, during 
her twenty-four hours' stay,' gets her claws entangled in the 
long straws, and on leaving for her daily meal is very likely to 
drag one or two with her, fracturing one or more eggs, or even 
jerking them quite out of the nest. 

Should such a mishap occur (and the nest should be 
examined every two or three days, when the hen is absent, 
to ascertain), the eggs must be removed, and clean straw 
substituted, and every sound egg at all soiled by the broken 
one be washed with a sponge and warm water, gently but 
quickly drying after with a cloth. The hen, if very dirty, 
should also have her breast cleansed, and the whole replaced 
immediately, that the eggs may not be chilled. A moderate 
hatch may still be expected, though the number of chicks is 
always more or less reduced by an accident of this kind. If, 
however, the cleansing be neglected for more than a couple of 
days after a breakage, or less at the latter period of incubation, 
probably not a single chick will be obtained ; whether from the 
pores of the shell being stopped by the viscid matter, or from 
the noxious smell of the putrefying egg, it is not very material 
to inquire. 

Every egg should also be marked quite round with ink or 
pencil, so that if any be subsequently laid in the nest they 
may be at once detected and removed. Hens will sometimes 
lay several eggs after beginning to sit. 

In ordinary winters the hen should be set as in summer, 
giving her, however, rather more straw. Only in severe frost 
should she be brought into the house ; and in that case, or in 
eummer if the ground be very dry, it will be necessary during 
the last half of the hatching period to sprinkle the eggs slightly 
with water every duy while she is off. This is done best by 



TESTING THE EGGgf. 



41 



dipping a small brush in tepid water ; and is always necessary 
to success, in dry weather at least, when a hen is set in a box 
at a distance from the ground, as is the case in large sitting 
houses. But, where it can be had, we much prefer the natural 
moisture of a damp soil : it never fails, and avoids going near 
the hen. 

When the number of eggs set yearly is considerable, it is 
worth while to withdraw the unfertile ones at an early period. 
About the eighth day let the hen be removed by candle- 
light, and each egg 
be held between the 
eye and the light,- 
in the manner repre- 
sented by Fig. 7. If 
the egg be fertile, it 
will, appear opaque, 
or dark all over, ex- 
cept, perhaps, a small 
portion towards the 
top ; but if it be un- 
impregnated, it will 
be still translucent, 
the light passing 
through it almost as 
if new laid. After 
some experience the 
eggs can be distin- 
guished at an earlier period, and a practised hand can tell the 
unfertile eggs even at the fourth day. Should the number 
withdrawn be considerable, four batches set the same day may 
be given to three hens, or even two, and the remainder given 
fresh eggs ; and if not, the fertile eggs will get more heat, and 
the brood come out all the stronger. The sterile eggs are also 
worth saving, as they are quite good enough frr cooking 




Fig. 7. 



♦ 2 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

purposes, and quite as fresh even for boiling as nine-tenths 
of the Irish eggs constantly used for that purpose. We do not, 
however, recommend this plan when the sitters are few and 
the eggs from the home stock, as in that case their quality 
should be known, and sterility very rare. 

It is a common mistake to set too many eggs. In summer, 
a large hen may have thirteen, or a Cochin fifteen of her own ; 
but in early spring eleven are quite enough. We have not only 
to consider how many chickens the hen can hatch, but how 
many she can cover when they are partly grown. If a hen be 
set in January, she should not have more than seven or eight 
eggs, or the poor little things, as soon as they begin to get large, 
will have no shelter, and soon die off. It is far better to hatch 
only six and rear five, or may be all, to health and vigour, than 
to hatch ten and only probably rear three puny little creatures, 
good for nothing but to make broth. In April and May 
broods, such a limitation is not needed ; but even then eleven 
or twelve chickens are quite as many as a large, well-feathered 
hen can properly nourish, and the eggs should only be one or 
two in excess of that number. 

A good hen will not remain more than half an hour away 
from her nest, unless she has been deprived of a dust-bath, and 
so become infested with lice, which sometimes causes hens thus 
neglected to forsake their eggs altogether. When a hen at the 
proper time shows no disposition to return, she should be 
quietly driven towards her nest; if she be caught, and replaced 
by hand, she is often so frightened and excited as to break the 
eggs. A longer absence is not, however, necessarily fatal to 
the brood. We have had hens repeatedly absent more than an 
hour, which still hatched seven or eight chicks ; and on one 
occasion a hen sitting in the fowl-house returned to the wrong 
nest, and was absent from her own more than five hours. We 
of course considered all chances of hatching at an end ; but as 
the hen had been sitting a fortnight, concluded to let her finish 



ASSISTING THE CHICKENS. 43 

her time, and she hatched five chickens. We have heard of a 
few hatching even after nine hours' absence, and therefore would 
never, on account of such an occurrence, abandon valuable eggs 
without a trial. 

The chickens break the shell at the end of the twenty-first 
day, on an average ; but if the eggs are new-laid, it will often 
lessen the time by as much as five or six hours, while stale eggs 
are always more or less behind. 

We never ourselves now attempt to assist a chick from the 
shell. If the eggs were fresh, and proper care has been taken 
to preserve moisture during incubation, no assistance is ever 
needed. To fuss about the nest frets the hen exceedingly ; and 
we have always found that even where the poor little creature 
survived at the time, it never lived to maturity. Should the 
reader attempt such assistance, in cases' where an egg has been 
long " chipped," and no further progress made, let the shell be 
cracked gently all round, without tearing the inside membrane ; 
if that be perforated, the viscid fluid inside dries, and glues the 
chick to the shell. Should this happen, or should both shell 
and membrane be perforated at first, introduce the point of a 
pair of scissors, and cut up the egg towards the large end, 
where there will be an empty space, remembering that if blood 
flow all hope is at an end. Then put the chick back under the 
hen; she will probably squeeze it to death, it is true, it is so 
very weak ; but it will never live if put by the fire, at least, we 
always found it so. Indeed, as we have said, we consider it 
quite useless to make the attempt at all. 

But with g©od eggs, a good hen, and good management, all 
will go right, and there will be in due time a goodly number 
of strong and healthy chickens, to the mutual delight of the 
hen and of her owner. And with the treatment of the young 
brood we will begin another chapter. 



44 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

CHAPTER V. 

THE BEARING AND FATTENING OF CHICKENS. 

For nearly twenty- four hours after hatching, chickens require no 
food at all ; and though we do not think it best to leave them quite 
so long as this without it, we should let them remain for at least 
twelve hours undisturbed. "We say undisturbed, because it is a 
very common practice to take those first hatched away from the 
hen, and put them in a basket by the fire till the whole brood 
is out. When the eggs have varied much in age, this course 
must be adopted ; for some chickens will be perhaps a whole 
day or more behind the others, and the hen, if she felt the little 
things moving beneath her, would not stay long enoiigh to 
hatch the rest. But we have explained in the last chapter that 
this should not be, and that if the eggs are all fresh, the 
chicks will all appear within a few hours of each other. In 
that case they are much better left with their mother : the heat 
of her body appears to strengthen and nourish them in a 
far better manner than any other warmth, and they are happy 
and contented, instead of moving restlessly about as they always 
do whilst away from her. 

Our own plan is to set the eggs in the evening, when the 
chicks will break the shell in the evening also, or perhaps the 
afternoon. Then at night let the state of the brood be once 
only examined, all egg-shells removed from the nest, and the 
hen, if she be tame enough to receive it, given food and 
water. Let her afterwards be so shut in that she cannot leave 
her nest, and all may be left safely till the moining. By that 
time the chicks will be strong and lively, quite ready for their 
first meal ; and unless some of the eggs are known to be very 
stale, any not hatched then are little likely to hatch at all. 
If this be so, the chicks may be removed and put in flannel by 



FIRST MEAL OF THE CHICKENS. 

the fire, and another day patiently waited, to se 
will appear. "We should not do so, however, if 
had hatched well ; for they never thrive so well a' 
and it is scarcely worth while to injure the 
the brood for the sake of one or two whic 1 ' 
not live after all. 

The first meal should be given on I 
material for it is an equal mixture of 
and stale bread-crumbs, the latter slig'! 
Let the hen be allowed to partake ■ 
and then give her besides as muc ; 
offer her water, which she will 
the hen at first saves much rest- 
afterwards. 

There is a stupid practice adopter 
the little horny scale which appears on ev>. 
with the idea of enabling them to peck better, anu ^ 
food or pepper-corns down their throats, and dip their b._ 
water to make them drink. It is a mistake to say that if this 
does no good it can do no harm : the little beaks are very soft 
and tender, and are often injured by such barbarous treatment. 
Leave them alone. If they do not eat or drink — and chickens 
seldom drink the first day — it only shows they do not wish to ; 
for to fill an empty stomach is the first and universal instinct of 
all living things. 

The brood having been fed, the next step will depend upon 
circumstances. If, as we recommend, the chickens were 
hatched the night before, or be well upon their legs, and the 
weather be fine, they may be at once moved out, and the hen 
cooped where her little ones can get the sun. If it be winter, 
or settled wet weather, the hen must, if possible, be kept on 
her nest this day also, and when removed be cooped in a dry 
Bhed or outhouse. 

The best arrangement, where there is convenience for it, is 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

in Fig. 8. A shed, six feet square, is reared 

11, with a southern exposure, and the coop placed 

coop should be made on a plan very common 

France, and consists of two compartments, 

; tion of bars; one compartment being closed 




Fig. 8. 



in front, the other fronted with bars like the partition. Each 
set of bars should have a sliding one to serve as a door, and the 
whole coop should be tight and sound. It is best to have no 
bottom, but to put it on loose dry earth or ashes, an inch or 
two deep. Each half of the coop is about two feet six inches 
square, and may or may not be lighted from the top by a small 
pane of glass. 

The advantage of such a coop and shed is, that except in 
very severe weather, no farther shelter is required even at 



THE REARING COOP. 47 

night. During the day the hen is kept in the outer compart- 
ment, the chickens having liberty, and the food and water 
being placed outside ; whilst at night she is put in the inner 
portion of the coop, and a piece of canvas or sacking hung over 
the bars of the outer half. If the top be glazed, a little food 
and the water vessel may be placed in the outer compartment 
at night, and the chicks will be able to run out and feed early 
in the morning, being prevented by the canvas from going out 
into the cold air. It will be only needful to remove the coop 
every two days for a few minutes, to take away the tainted 
earth and replace it with fresh. There should, if possible, be a 
grass-plot in front of the shed, the floor of which should be 
covered with dry loose dust or earth. 

Under such a shed chickens will thrive well ; but if such 
cannot be obtained, sufficient shelter during ordinary bi'eeding 
seasons may be obtained by the use of a well-made board coop, 
with a gabled roof covered with felt. This coop should be 
open in front only, and be two feet six inches or three feet 
square. At night let a thick canvas wrappering be hung over 
the front. 

The ordinary basket coop is only fit to be used in perfectly 
fine weather, when it is convenient to place on a lawn. Some 
straw, weighted by a stone, or other covering, should, however, 
be placed on the top, to give shelter from the mid-day sun. 

It is often necessary in considerable establishments to carry 
the hen and her brood for a considerable distance. For this 
purpose the box shown in Tig. 9 will be found very convenient. 
It may be made in either one or two divisions, and the chickens 
will be thus managed with no trouble, as they cannot escape 
when put in at the top, whilst they are readily let out again 
by the door. 

Chickens should always, if possible, be cooped near grass. 
No single circumstance is so conducive to health, size, and 
vigour, supposing them to be decently well cared for, as even a 



43 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 



small grass run such as that provided in Fig. 2. Absolute clean- 
liness is also essential, even more than for grown fowls ; and 
the reason why difficulty is often experienced in rearing large 
numbers is, that the ground becomes so tainted with cheir 
excrements. The coop should, therefore, be either moved to a 
fresh place every day, or the dry earth under be carefully 




Fig. o. 



removed. A very good plan, and one we have found in a 
limited space to answer remarkably well, is to have a wooden 
gable-roofed coop made with a wooden bottom, and to cover this 
an inch deep with perfectly dry earth, or fine sifted ashes. The 
ashes are renewed every evening in five minutes, and form a 
nice warm bed for the chicks, clean and sweet, and much better 
than straw. 

Cats sometimes make sad inroads on the broods. If this 
nuisance be great, it is well to confine the coveted prey while 
young within a wire-covered run. And the best way of form- 
ing such a run, is to stretch some inch-mesh wire-netting, two 
feet wide, upon a light wooden frame, so as to form two wire 
hurdles, two feet wide and about six feet long, with one three 
feet long. These are easily lashed together wfth string to form 
a run six feet by three (Fig. 10), and may be covered by a 
similar hurdle of two- inch mesh three feet wide. In such a 



run all animal depredations may be defied ; and in any case we 
should recommend its use until the chicks are a fortnight old ; 
it saves a world ,of trouble and anxiety, and prevents the brood 
wandering and getting over-tired. By having an assortment 
of such hurdles, portable runs can be constructed in a few 
minutes of any extent required, and will be found of great 




Fig. 10, 

advantage until the broods are strong. The hen may also be 
given her liberty within the prescribed bounds. e 

With regard to feeding, if the question be asked what is the 
best food for chickens, irrespective of price, the answer must 
decidedly be oatmeal. After the first meai of bread-crumbs and 
egg no food is equal to it, if coarsely ground, and only moistened 
so much as to remain crumbly. The price of oatmeal is, how- 
ever, so high as to forbid its use in general, except for valuable 
broods ; but we should .still advise it for the first week, in order 
to lay a good foundation. It may be moistened either with 
water or milk, but in the latter case only sufficient must be 
mixed for each feeding, as it will turn sour within an hour in 
the sun, and in that condition is very injurious to the chickens. 

For the first three or four days the yolk of an egg boiled 
hard should also be chopped up small, and daily given to each 
dozen chicks ; • and when this is discontinued, a little cooked 
meat, minced fine, should be given once a day till about three 



50 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

weeks old. The cost of this will be inappreciable, as a piece 
the size of a good walnut is sufficient for a whole brood, and 
the chickens will have more constitution and fledge better than 
if no animal food is supplied. 

Food must be given very often. For the first week every 
hour is not too much, though less will do; the next three 
weeks, every two hours ; from one to two months old, every 
three hours ; and after that, three times a day will be sufficient. 
To feed very often, giving just enough fresh food to be entirely 
eaten each time, is the one great secret of getting fine birds. 
If the meals are fewer, and food be left, it gets sour, the chicks 
do not like it, and will not take so much as they ought to 
have. 

After the first week the oatmeal can be changed for cheaper 
food. "We can well recommend any of the following, and it is 
best to change from one to another, say about every fortnight. 
An equal mixture of " sharps " and barley-meal, or " sharps " 
and buckwheat- meal, or of bran and Indian meal ; or of bran, 
oatmeal, and Indian meal. The last our own chickens like 
best of all, and as the cheap bran balances the oatmeal, it is not 
a dear food, and the chicks will grow upon it rapidly. Potatoes 
mashed with bran are also most excellent food. 

The above will form the staple food, but after a day or two 
some grain should be given in addition. Groats chopped up 
with a knife are excellent ; so is crushed wheat or bruised oats. 
Chickens seem to prefer grits to anything, but it is not equal 
to meal as a permanent diet. A little of either one or the 
other should, however, be given once or twice a day, and in 
particular should form the last meal at night, for the reasons 
given in page 23. 

Bread sopped in water is the worst possible food for chickens, 
causing weakness and general diarrhoea. With railk it is 
better, but not equal to meal. 

Green food is even more necessary to chickens than to 



DIET IN COLD WEATHER. 51 

adult fowls. Whilst very you«g it is best to cut some grass 
into very small morsels for them with a pair of scissors ; after- 
wards they will crop it for themselves if allowed. Should there 
be no grass plot available, cabbage or lettuce-leaves nmst be 
regularly given — minced small at first, but thrown down whole 
as soon as the beaks of the chickens are strong enough to enable 
them to help themselves. 

In winter or very early spring the chickens must, in addi- 
tion to the above feeding, have more stimulating diet. Some 
under-done meat or egg should be continued regularly, and it 
is generally necessary to give also, once a day at least, some 
stale bread soaked in ale. They should also be fed about eight 
or nine o'clock, by candle-light, and early in the morning. In 
no other way can Dorkings or Spanish be successfully reared 
at this inclement season, though the hardier breeds will often 
get along very well with the ordinary feeding. Ale and meat, 
with liberal feeding otherwise, will rear chickens at the coldest 
seasons ; and the extra cost is more than met by the extra 
prices then obtained in the market. But shelter they must 
have ; and those who have not at command a large outhouse or 
shed to keep them in while tender, should not attempt to raise 
winter or early spring chickens — if they do, the result will only 
be disappointment and loss. The broods should only be let 
out on the open gravel or grass in bright, or at least clear, dry 
weather. 

At the age of four months the chickens, if of the larger 
breeds, should be grown enough for the table ; and if they have 
been well fed, and come of good stock, they will be. For our- 
selves we say, let them be eaten as they are — they will be quite 
fat enough ; and fattening is a very delicate process, success in 
which it takes some experience to acquire. For market, how- 
ever, a fatted fowl is more valuable ; and the birds should be 
penned up for a further fortnight or three weeks, which ought 
to add at least two pounds to their weight. For a limited 

E 2 



52 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

number of chickens it will be sufficient to provide a small 
number of simply constructed pens, such as are represented 
in Fig 11. Each compartment should measure about nine 
by eighteen inches, by about eighteen inches high ; and the 
bottom should not consist of board, but be formed of bars two 
inches wide placed two inches apart, the top corners being 
rounded off. The partitions, top and back, are board, as the 




Fattenhig Pens. Fig. 11. 



birds should not see each other. These pens ought to be 
placed about two inches from the ground in a darkish, but 
not cold or draughty place, and a shallow tray be intro- 
duced underneath, filled with fresh dry earth every day, 
to catch the droppings. This is the best and least trouble- 
some method of keeping the birds clean and in good health. 
As fast as each occupant of a pen is withdrawn for execu- 
tion its pen should be whitewashed all over inside, and 
allowed to get perfectly dry before another is introduced. 
This will usually prevent much trouble from insect vermin; 
but if a bird appenrs restless from that cause, some powdered 
sulphur, rubbed well into the roots of the feathers, will give 
immediate relief. 

In front of each compartment should be a ledge three inches 



FATTENING. 53 

wide, on which to place the food and water-tins. The latter 
must be replenished once, the former three times a day ; and 
after each meal the pens must be darkened for half the time 
until the next, by hanging a cloth over the front. This cloth 
is best tacked along at the top, when it can be conveniently 
hung over or folded back as required. The two hours' dark- 
ness ensures quiet and thorough digestion ; but it is not 
desirable, as most do, to keep the birds thus the whole time 
till the next meal, as the chickens will have a much better 
appetite on the plan we recommend. 

The best food for fattening is buckwheat-meal, when it can be 
obtained ; and it is to the use of this grain the French owe, in 
a great measure, the splendid fowls they send to market. If 
it cannot be procured, the best substitute is an equal mixture 
of Indian and barley-meal. Each bird should have as much as 
it will eat at one time, but no food left to become sour : a 
little barley may, however, be scattered on the ledge. The 
meal may be mixed with skim-milk if available. A little 
minced green food should be given daily, tv keep the bowels in 
proper order. 

In three weeks the process ought to be completed. It 
must be borne in mind that fat only is added by thus penning 
a chicken ; the lean or flesh must be made before, and unless 
the chicken has attained the proper standard in this respect, it 
is useless even to attempt to fatten it. Hence the importance 
of high feeding from the very shell. The secret of rearing 
chickens profitably is, to get them ready for the table at the 
earliest possible period, and not to let them live a single day 
after. Every such day is a dead loss, for they cannot be kept 
fat ; once up to the mark, if not killed they get feverish and 
begin to waste away again. To make poultry profitable, even 
on a small scale, everything must go upon system ; and that 
system is, to kill the chickens the very day they are ready for it. 

If extra weight and fat is wanted, the birds may be 



54 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OP FOWLS. 

crammed during the last ten days of the fattening period, but 
not before. The meal is to be rolled up the thickness of a 
finger, and then cut into pellets an inch and a half long. Each 
morsel must be dipped in water before it is put into the bird's 
throat, when there will be no difficulty in swallowing. The 
quantity given can only be learnt by experience. 

For home use, however, nothing can equal a chicken never 
fattened at all, but just taken out of the yard. If well fed 
there will be plenty of good meat, and the fat of a fowl is to 
most persons no particular delicacy. In any case, however, let 
the chicken be fasted twelve hours before it is killed. 

There are various modes of killing — all of them very 
effectual in practised hands. One is to give the bird a very 
sharp blow with a small but heavy stick behind the neck, 
about the second joint from the head, which will, if properly 
done, sever the spine and cause death very speedily. Another 
is to clasp the bird's head in the hand and swing the body 
round by it — a process which also kills by parting the ver- 
tebrae. M. Soyer recommends that the joints be pulUd apart, 
which can easily be effected by seizing the head in the light 
hand, placing the thumb just at the back of the skull, and 
giving a smart jerk of the hand, the other, of course, holding 
the neck of the fowl. And lastly, there is the knife, which we 
consider, after all, the most merciful plan, as it causes no more 
pain than that occasioned by the momentary operation itself. 
We do not advocate cutting the throat ; but having first hung 
up the bird by the legs, thrust a long, narrow, and sharp- 
pointed knife, like a long penknife, which is made for the 
purpose, through the back part of the roof of the mouth up 
into the brain. Death will be almost instantaneous, which is 
too seldom the case when dislocation is employed. 

Fowls are easiest plucked at once, whilst still warm, and 
should be afterwards scalded by dipping them for just one 
instant in boiling water. This pi-ocess will make any decent 



DISEASES. 55 

fowl look plump and nice, and poor ones, of course, ought not 
to be killed at all. They should not be " drawn " until the 
day they are wanted, as they will keep much longer without. 

With respect to old fowls, in the market they are an 
abomination; but at home it is sometimes needful to use 
them. If so, let them be boiled. Unless very aged, they will 
then be tolerable eating ; but if roasted, will be beyond most 
persons' power of mastication. 



CHAPTER VL 

DISEASES OF POULTRY. 

If fowls are kept clean, and well sheltered from wind and 
wet ; are not overfed, and have a due proportion of both soft 
and green food, with a never-failing supply of clean water, they 
will remain free from disease, unless infected by strangers. 
And when a fowl becomes ill, the best cure in nearly every 
case- is to kill it before it is too bad to be eaten. Only in the 
case of valuable birds, which people are naturally unwilling to 
sacrifice, do we recommend much attempt at a cure, and even 
then only where the disease is so defined and evident that the 
treatment is sure. To prescribe for a fowl in the dark is one 
of the most hopeless speculations that can well be. 

As this work is intended to be strictly practical, it is only 
for such well-defined complaints we shall prescribe; and in 
doing so, it is only jtistice to acknowledge the great services 
rendered in this matter to the whole poultry world by Mr. 
W. B. Tegetmeier. That gentleman has long made the diseases 
of fowls his peculiar study, and has been above all others success- 
ful in the treatment of them ; and the greater part of this 
chapter is founded more or less directly upon his authority. 

Besides actual diseases, there are certain natural ailments, 



56 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

as they may be called, to which all fowls may be subject, and 
which demand treatment. 

Bad Fledging. — Chickens often droop and suffer much 
whilst their feathers are growing, especially in cold wet 
weather; and the breeds which feather most rapidly suffer 
most. This is probably one reason why Cochins and Brahmas, 
which fledge late and slowly, are so hardy. As soon as a brood 
appears drooping whilst the feathers grow, if it has not been 
done before, begin at once giving them a little meat every day, 
and some bread sopped in ale. A little burnt oyster-shell, 
pounded very fine, and added to their food, is also beneficial. 
Keep them out of the wet, above all things, and they will 
generally come round. This crisis seldom lasts more than a 
week or ten days ; the chicks either die off, or recover their 
health and vigour. 

Leg Weakness. — Highly-fed chickens which grow fast, bred 
from prize stock, are most subject to this ; which simply arises 
from outgrowing their strength, and must be met accordingly 
by animal food and tonics. Give meat or worms every day, 
and unless it be cold weather, dip the legs for a few minutes 
daily in cold water. The prescription will be, three or four 
grains of ammonio-citrate of iron for each chicken, given every 
day, dissolved in the water with which the meal is mixed. 

The above affection must not be confounded with cramp 
from cold and wet, which also makes the birds unable to 
walk, or even stand, but for which cold bathing would be most 
injurious. In this case, the only treatment is warmth, feeding 
meanwhile on meal mixed with ale, and always given warm. 
Under this regimen the bird will soon recover, unless the attack 
has been long unperceived and neglected. 

Bad Moulting. — Old fowls sometimes suffer much at this 
season, especially if the precautions recommended in Chapter 
III. have been overlooked. These precautions contain the 
only effectual treatment. Give stimulating food, warm, every 



DISEASES. 67 

morning, and well peppered, with meat and ale every day, and 
keep under cover in wet weather. Add also iron, in the form 
of " Douglas Mixture," to the drinking water ; and let some 
hemp-seed be given with the grain every evening. The hirds, 
if not sunk too low,, will then usually pull through. Fowls 
should not, however, be kept until old, except in the case 
of pets or valuable stock birds. 

For actual diseases, it is well in all large establishments to 
have a weather-tight and well-ventilated house kept as a 
hospital, in which healthy fowls should never be placed. Eoup, 
in particular, is so contagious, that even a recovered bird 
should be kept by itself for a few days before being restored 
to its companions. 

Gapes is a fatal disease of chickens, and which we believe 
infectious ; it is, at all events, epidemic. Unless perhaps thus 
communicated by others, it never occurs except there has been 
foul water, exposure to wet, and want of nourishing food. The 
disease consists — at least, so far as actual symptoms extend — in 
a number of small worms which infest the windpipe, and 
cause the poor chicken to gasp for breath. If taken eaidy, it 
will be sufficient to give every day a morsel of camphor the 
size of a gi'ain of wheat, and to put camphor in the drinking 
water ; or a little turpentine may be given daily in meal ; 
taking care, of course, that the deficiencies in diet and shelter 
be amended. In fully-developed cases, the worms must be 
removed by introducing a loop of horsehair into the trachea, 
and turning it round during withdrawal ; the operation to be 
repeated several times, till all the worms appear to be extracted. 
A feather, stripped almost up to the top, may be used instead 
of the horsehair. The frequent occurrence of gapes is a 
disgrace to any poultry-yard. 

Apoplexy occurs from over-feeding, and can seldom be 
treated in time to be of service. If the fowl, however, 
although insensible, do not appear actually dead, the wing may 



58 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWLS. 

be Kfted, and a large vein which will be seen underneath freely 
opened, after which hold the bird's head under a cold water 
tap for a few minutes. It is just possible it may recover ; if 
bo, feed sparingly on soft food only for a few days. In over- 
fed hens, this disease usually occurs during the exertion of 
laying ; if, therefore, a laying hen be found dead upon the 
nest, let the owner at once examine the remainder, and should 
they appear in too high condition, reduce their allowance of 
food accordingly. 

Loss of Feathers is almost always caused either by want of 
green food, or having no dust-bath. Let these wants therefore 
be propei-ly supplied, removing the fowls, if possible, to a grass 
run. For local application, Mr. Tegetmeier recommends mer- 
curial ointment, but we ourselves prefer an unguent composed 
of sulphur and creosote. Nothing, however, will bring back 
the feathers before the next moult. 

Roup is always caused by wet, or very cold winds. It 
begins with a common cold, and terminates in an offensive dis- 
charge from the nostrils and eyes, often hanging in froth about 
those organs. It is most highly contagious, the disease being, 
as we believe, communicated by the sickly fowl's beak con- 
taminating the drinking water ; therefore, let all fowls affected 
by it be at once put by themselves, and have a separate water- 
vessel. Keep them warm, and feed with meal only, mixed 
with hot ale instead of water ; add " Douglas Mixture " to the 
water, and give daily, in a bolus of the meal, half a grain of 
cayenne pepper, with half a grain of powdered allspice, or one of 
Baily's roup pills. Give also half a cabbage-leaf every day, and 
wash the head and eyes morning and eveiiing with very diluted 
vinegar, or a five-grain solution of sulphate of zinc. Mr. Teget- 
meier's treatment is, to feed on oatmeal mixed with ale, and 
green food unlimited ; washing the head with tepid water, and 
giving daily one grain sulphate of copper. We prefer the 
above. Roup runs its course rapidly, and in a week the bird 



5S 

will either be almost well, or so nearly dead that it had better 
be killed at once. It is the disease of poultry, and to be dreaded 
accordingly; fortunately, the symptoms are specific, and the 
treatment equally so. 

Pip is no disease, and demands no treatment, being only 
analagous to " a foul tongue " in human beings. Cure the 
roup, or bad digestion, or whatever else be the real evil, and 
the thickening of the tongue will disappear too. 

Diarrhoea may be caused either by cold, wet weather, with 
inadequate shelter ; neglect in cleansing the house and run ; or 
from the reaction after constipation caused by too little green 
food. Feed on warm barley meal ; give some green food, but 
not very much ; and at first administer, four times a day, three 
drops of camphorated spirit on a pill of meal. This will 
usually effect a cure. If the evacuations become coloured 
with blood, the diarrhoea has passed into dysentery, and re- 
covery is almost hopeless. Mr. Tegetmeier's prescription is 
one grain each of opium and ipecacuanha, with five grains 
chalk ; but the camphorated spirit is a better remedy. 

Soft Eggs are generally caused by over- feeding the hens, and 
the remedy is then self-evident. It may, however, occur from 
want of linie, whiun must of course be supplied, the best form 
being calcined and pounded oyster-shells. Occasionally it is 
occasioned by fright, from being driven about, but in that case 
will right itself in a day or two. If perfect eggs are habitually 
dropped on the ground, the proprietor should see whether the 
nests do not need purifying. This leads us to 

Insect Vermin, which can only be troublesome from gross 
neglect, either of the fowls or of their habitations. In the one 
case, the remedy is a dust-bath, mixed with powdered coke or 
sulphur ; in the other, an enei-getic lime- washing of the houses 
and sheds will get rid of the annoyance. 

It will be seen that by far the greater proportion of poultry 
diseases arise either from cold and wet, or neglect in preserving 



60 GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF FOWIA 

cleanliness — often both combined. It should be noted also, 
that the first general symptom of nearly all such diseases ia 
diarrhoea, which we have observed usually manifests itself even 
in roup, before any discharge from the nostrils is perceptible. 
At this stage much evil may be warded off. Whenever a fowl 
hangs its wings, and looks drooping, let it be seen at once 
whether it appears purged, and if so, give immediately, in a 
table-spoonful of warm water, a tea-spoonful of strong brandy 
saturated with camphor. Repeat this next morning, and in 
most cases the disease, whatever it is, will be checked ; care 
being of course taken to give the invalid warmth and good 
shelter, with ale in its food. If the evacuation continues, 
administer the stronger prescription given for diarrhoea. 

We could easily fill a long chapter with further prescrip 
tions, but we believe that the above are all that can be usefully 
given. Special diseases, such as white comb in Cochins, and 
black-rot in Spanish, will be mentioned under the head of the 
breeds to which they more particularly belong. 



SECTION II. 



THE BBEEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PEIZE 
POULTEY. 



SECTION II, 



On a subject involving so many conditions for success, and 
dependent so much upon circumstances, as the breeding of 
poultry for exhibition, it will be easily understood that the 
opinion of even the best authorities on some points is by 
no means uniform. 

Many breeders, for instance, consider it almost' a sin to 
try the effect of a cross ; whilst others aver, with good 
reason, that crossing has done much towards the formation 
of some of our best breeds. 

All, however, are agreed with respect to the essentials 
of practical rearing, and the following pages embody the 
experience and knowledge of the most eminent breeders in 
the kingdom. What can be taught by perusal we believe 
will be found here contained ; and we trust this Section 
will be found of some real use in imparting information 
on matters concerning which nothing in any connected 
form has hitherto been written. 



THE 

BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

CHAPTER VII. 

YARDS AND ACCOMMODATION ADAPTED FOR BREEDING PRIZE 
POULTRY. 

Whether the breeding of poultry with a view to exhibition 
can be made profitable, or otherwise, is a much vexed qiiestion 
amongst amateurs. For otu'selves, we believe that the answer 
must depend partly upon the means of the fancier ; still more 
upon the experience and knowledge he brings to bear upon the 
subject; and not a little upon the breed to which his fancy 
inclines him. We are acquainted with breeders who never 
coidd make the produce of their yards quite meet the current 
expenses ; and we also know at least half-a-dozen, of high 
standing at all the principal shows, whose yards yield them a 
clear profit varying from £20 to £200 per annum. It is, there- 
fore, most certainly possible to make even the "fancy" for 
poultry remunerative; and with the kind assistance of some 
of its most enthusiastic devotees we shall in this and the fol- 
lowing chapters endeavour to give such information on the sub- 
ject as can be thus communicated, and such directions as 
the long experience of many has proved likely to lead to success. 
But first of all it is necessary to consider the question of 
accommodation. 

The plan of a poultry-yard given at page 11, with the 



G4 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PKIZE POULTRY. 

addition of a lawn or separate grass-run, on which young 
chickens may be cooped separately, is very well adapted for 
rearing most breeds upon a moderate scale. The two runs may 
be used to separate the sexes during autumn if preferred, or 
to keep the chickens apart from the old fowls ; whilst the run 
for the sitting hens will, after this design has been fulfilled, be 
very convenient for the reception of one or two single cocks, or 
any other casual purpose. To ensure success, the most exquisite 
cleanliness must be observed, and at the beginning of every 
year the grass in the runs should be carefully renewed, if 
necessary, by liberal sowing, of course keeping the fowls off 
it till thoroughly rooted again. At this season the confinement 
thus involved will not be injurious, provided green food be 
supplied in the sheds, in lieu of the grass to which the birds 
have been accustomed. With such precautions, at least forty 
or fifty chickens may be reared annually, and from such a num- 
ber there should be little difficulty, if the parents were selected 
with judgment, in matching two or three pens fit for exhibition. 

But more extensive accommodation will be necessary if 
very high and extensive repute in any particular breed be 
desired, with the capability — which alone makes such reputation 
remunerative — of being able to supply an extensive demand 
for eggs and stock. In that case provision has to be made for 
keeping not only separate strains, in order that the proprietor 
may be able to cross and breed from the pi'oduce of his own 
yards, but there will be a much larger number of cockerels than 
can be needed, and as they are much too valuable for the table, 
they also have to be accommodated apart from the other fowls, 
until disposed of. We shall, by the kind permission of the 
eminent breeders whose establishments are represented, give 
two plans, each excellently adapted to secure these objects, 
though of very different arrangement ; and which may easily 
be modified to meet any possible case. 

The finjt (Fig. 12) represents the poultry -yard of Mr. H. 



Fig. 12. 




CROSS SECTION. 



Iff—' 








ji '; 
[i h 


B 


C 

4 






1 I 1 
M !j 


B 


c 


' k5 
-4 


GRASS. 








III! 'A 


B 


c 






I! l! 

[1 !! 
'1 1! 
il [1 


B 




c 

1 










GRASS. 


il ||' 
[1 >; 


B 


c 

1 







a 
? 5 



12 33, 



SCALE OF FEET. 



66 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

Lane, the well-known fancier of Bristol, and will be found 
peculiarly adapted for the rearing of either Spanish or any other 
delicate breed ; protection from inclement weather, as well as 
convenience of access and superintendence, having been specially 
studied. 

In this design A is a covered passage which runs along the 
back of all, and by a door which opens into each allows of 
ready access to every house in any weather. One end of 
this passage may open into some part of the dwelling-house 
if desired. The passage should have a skylight at top, and 
must also be freely ventilated at the roof ; to secure this 
object by having it open at either end would cause draught, 
and destroy the peculiar excellence of the arrangement. The 
houses, B, for roosting and laying in are 1\ feet by 4 feet, and 
the side facing the passage is only built or boai'ded up about 
2 feet, the remainder being simply netted ; hence the birds 
have a free supply of the purest air at night, whilst quite 
protected from the external atmosphere ; and can be all 
inspected at roost without the least disturbance — a conveni- 
ence of no small value. The nests should be reached from the 
passage by a trap-door, and there is then no necessity ever to 
enher the roosting-house at all except to clean it. 

A small trap-door as usual, which should be always closed 
at night, communicates between the house and the covered 
runs or yards, C, which are 7| feet by 9 feet. They ai-e 
boarded or built up for 2 feet 6 inches, the remainder netted, 
except the partition between them and the houses, which is, 
of course, quite close. Both houses and runs must be covered 
with some deodoriser, and Mr. Lane prefers the powdery refuse 
from lime works, which costs about Id. per bushel, and which 
he puts down about 2 inches deep. It always keeps perfectly 
dry, and is a great preventive of vermin ; whilst if the drop- 
pings are taken up every morning, it will require renewal 
very rarely. In front of all is a grass run, which should 



VARIOUS PLANS FOR BREEDING YARDS. 67 

extend as far as possible, and on which the fowls are let out 
in turn in fine weather. 

An additional story, E, may or may not be constructed over 
the roosting-house, and in case of emergency, by sprinkling the 
eggs, may be made to accommodate sitting hens ; but is not to 
be preferred for that purpose, for reasons given in Chapter IV. 
Every poultry-keeper, however, knows the great utility of such 
pens on various occasions which continually arise, and they 
will be found excellent accommodation for sick or injured 
fowls. 

In Mr. Lane's establishment hot- water pipes (a a) are laid 
along the back of the passage floor, by which the tempera- 
ture is at all seasons kept nearly uniform. This may or 
may not be adopted; and it will also be obvious that the 
whole arrangement is capable of enlargement to any desired 
extent. 

Our second plan is of totally different design, and repre- 
sents the yai'd of R. "W. Boyle, Esq., of Bray, Co. Wicklow, 
Ireland. 

In this design A A are roosts and enclosed runs adapted for 
breeding pens; the roosts in the larger pair measuring 11^- 
feet by 6 J feet, with a run extending 12 feet in front ; in the 
smaller, the houses and runs are only 8 feet wide. B B are 
houses and runs adapted to receive either a single cock or pair 
of hens, and C C are still smaller for the same purpose, the 
roosts in the latter measuring 3 feet by 4 feet, and the open 
runs 4 feet by 6 feet 9 inches. Either of the latter, besides 
their specific purpose, are excellently adapted for the accom- 
modation of a couple of sitting hens. D and E are large roosts 
or houses, which may be used to receive hens with their 
chickens, or for water-fowl. A grass plot, F, occupies the 
central portion of the yard, with a pond for the water-fowL 
The parts lettered G are hard gravel. The entrance to the 
whole at H opens upon a large grass run, to which the fowls 

f 2 



68 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 









w 










E 


D 






A 








= c 








r. 




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i 
i 


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GRASS. 


H 

































SCALE OF FEET. 



liO 



30 
Fig. 13. 



40 



5U 



AA Roosts and Yards for Breeding Fowls. 
BB Roosts and Yards for single Cocks or 

two Hens. 
CC Ditto, ditto. 



60 



DE Houses without Runs. 
F Grass Plot. GG Gravel Walks. 
H Entrance to large Grass Run. 
W Watercock. 



are admitted in turn. At W is a water-cock for the general 
supply of the yard. 

All the roosts and runs in Mr. Boyle's yard are well covered 



■ ADVANTAGES OF A GRASS RUN. 69 

with loose sand, which is raked clean every morning ; and the 
large grass run outside is furnished with a long shed for shelter, 
and a small house with nests for such hens as prefer to lay there. 
Prize poultry may be also reared most successfully, and 
with very little trouble or expense in accommodation, in a 
park or on a farm. All habitual frequenters of shows must 
have observed the remarkable constitution exhibited in Lady 
Holmesdale's poultry ; and we paid, by invitation, a visit to 
Linton Park, specially to learn the management which pro- 
duced such excellent results, and to enjoy a chat with Mr. J. 
Martin, the well-known superintendent of the Linton poultry- 
yard. We found the system most simple, and to all who have 
equal space at command, the least expensive that can possibly 
be. Stone houses with gravelled yards there certainly are, but 
these were unoccupied by a single one of the Dorkings for 
which the Viscountess has obtained so wide a reputation, and Mr. 
Martin keeps practically the whole of the stock at perfect liberty 
in the park. Portable wooden houses are employed, mounted 
on small wheels, and without a bottom, which are placed in 
sufficiently distant localities to avoid any danger of the birds 
mixing, and moved a little every two or three days. Open 
windows are also provided, so that the fowls always breathe 
the pure air of heaven, and certainly with much more freedom 
than most breeders would allow to such delicate varieties as 
Spanish and Dorking ; yet Mr. Martin finds both breeds 
become hardy under such treatment, and that many of the 
Spanish birds prefer to roost on the trees, even through the 
winter. The hens are set in single detached coops, roofed on 
top, and closed at back and sides, which are placed in any 
secluded spots amongst the trees. Under this management the 
chickens are reared with the greatest ease, the gloss on the 
plumage is exquisite, and its closeness approaches that of the 
game fowl , whilst the birds, never too fat for the highest 
health, are surprisingly heavy in the scales. 



70 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OP PRIZE POULTRY. 

A similar plan may be pursued on a farm ; a number of 
wooden portable houses being provided, and placed in separate 
fields, in which families may be kept. Such a system will be 
an actual benefit to the soil, and the only drawback is the 
iacility it affords to the felonious abstraction of valuable eggs 
and stock. Still, even with this objection, we must pronounce 
such a natural method of rearing far the best where it can be 
adopted, which is, however, in very few instances ; for farmers 
are only seldom poultry-fanciers, and usually look upon even 
ordinary fowls as an unprofitable drain upon their purses, 
though it is certainly their own fault if it is so. 

The intending prize-winner must, of course, adapt the plan 
of his yard to his own circumstances and situation. We have 
now given ample materials to furnish a design of any possible 
character. The one necessity in this class of poultry-keeping 
is some facility for what may be called separation or selection, 
combined, of course, with a healthy run for the chickens whilst 
young, and the essentials mentioned in the first chapter. If 
these can be secured, any design, with care and attention, and 
good breeding stock, will ensure a fair measure of success. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

ON THE SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING, AND THE EFFECTS 
OF CROSSING. 

To obtain any marked success in Poultry Exhibition it is very 
necessary that the scientific theory of breeding for any specific 
object should be thoi-oughly understood — at least, if anything 
like general eminence be expected ; and still more so if the 
fancier desires by his own exertions to render any special 
service by the addition of new varieties, or the improvement of 
the old. Distinction in any one single breed is not so difficult 



IMPORTANCE OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE. 71 

to obtain ; but he is a poor poultry-breeder who is content to 
let his favourito variety remain exactly as he found it, without 
at least some attempt to improve it either in beauty or in 
economic value ; and any such attempt, to be successful, must 
be directed by an intelligent mind, which sees definitely before 
it the result to be attained. 

In knowledge and enterprise of tliis description we cannot 
but confess that English fanciers are behind their Continental 
brethren ; and the fact is the more to be regretted since the 
poultry " fancy " is far more universal in this country, and 
much more time and money spent in its pursuit. Were breed- 
ing more scientifically studied, no one can say what results 
British enthusiasm and perseverance might not eventually pro- 
duce ; whilst as it is, from ignorance of the subject, we believe 
one breed at least (white-faced Spanish) to have been nearly 
ruined. The elements of success are moreover so very few and 
simple, and a thorough knowledge of them so quickly acquired 
and so easily applied, that we shall devote a few pages to this 
part of the subject before entering upon the more practical 
portion of this section. 

The greatest misapprehension appears to exist amongst all 
but the most educated poultry-fanciers respecting the origin of 
different breeds. People seem to imagine that they have come 
down to us, or at least a number of them, in unbroken descent 
from far-back ages ; and this belief has given rise to innume- 
rable discussions concerning the purity or otherwise of different 
varieties, which might have been spared had the disputants 
comprehended the real nature of the case. We cannot do 
better here than give some able remarks which appeared some 
time since in The Field ; and which deserve to be well studied, 
for they contain the first principles of the whole science of 
breeding : — 

" Such questions as the following are constantly asked, — 
' Are the Brahmas a pure breed ? are black Hamburghs a pure 



72 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

breed?' «fec, &c. Those queries obviously owe their origin to 
a confusion of the distinction that exists between different 
animals, and between different varieties of the same animaL 
Let us illustrate our meaning by an example. 

" A hare is a pure-bred animal, because it is totally distinct 
from all other animals, or, as naturalists say, it constitutes a 
distinct species. It does not breed with other animals, for the 
so-called leporines are only large rabbits ; and if it did, the off- 
spring would be a hybrid or mule, and almost certainly sterile 
or incapable of breeding. In the same manner the common 
wild rabbit is a pure breed. This animal possesses the capa- 
bility of being domesticated, and under the new circumstances 
in which it is placed, it varies in size, form, and colour from 
the original stock. By careful selection of these variations, 
Mid by breeding from those individuals which show most 
strongly the points or qualities desired, certain varieties, or as 
they are termed ' breeds ' of rabbits, are produced and per- 
petuated. Thus we have the lop-eared breed, the Angora breed, 
the Chinchilla breed, <fcc. &c, characterised by alterations in the 
length of the ears, in the colour of the fur, in the size of the 
animals, and so on. It is obvious that, by care, more new 
varieties may be produced and perpetuated. Thus, by mating 
silver greys of different depths of colour, white animals with 
black extremities are often produced, and these have been 
perpetuated by mating them together. The breed so produced is 
known as the Himalayan variety, and, as it reproduces its like, 
is as pure and distinct a breed as any other that can be named. 

" But, in the strictest scientific sense of the word, no par- 
ticular variety of rabbit can be said to be a pure breed, as, like 
all the others, it is descended from the wild original. In the 
same manner we may deny applicability of the term pure breed 
to the varieties of any domesticated animal, even if, as in the 
case of the dog or sheep, we do not know the original from 
which they descended. 



ORIGIN OF BKEEDS. 73 

u All that can be asserted of the so-called purest-bred 
variety is that it has been reared for a number of years or 
generations without a cross with any other variety. But it 
should be remembered that every variety has been reared by 
careful artificial selection, either from the original stock or 
from other varieties. 

"In the strict sense of the word, then, there is no such 
thing as an absolutely pure breed — the term is only compara- 
tively true. "We may term the Spanish fowl of pure breed, 
because it has existed a long period, and obviously could not 
be improved by crossing with any other known variety ;' in 
fact, its origin as a variety is not known. But many of our 
domesticated birds have a much more recent origin. Where 
were game bantams fifty years ago ? The variety did not 
exist. . They have been made by two modes : breeding game 
to reduce the size, and then crossing the small game fowl so 
obtained with bantams. . Yet game bantams, as at present 
shown, have quite as good a title to a pure breed as any other 
variety. In fact, every variety may be called a pure breed 
that reproduces its own likeness true to form and colour. 

" The statement that Brahmas, Black Hamburghs, Dorkings, 
&c, are pure breeds is meaningless, if it is intended to imply 
anything more than that they will reproduce their like, which a 
mongrel cross between two distinct varieties cannot be depended 
on doing. There is no doubt but that many of our varieties have 
been improved by crossing with others. The cross of the bull- 
dog thrown in and bred out again has given stamina to the 
greyhound; and although generally denied, there is no doubt 
but that the Cochin has in many cases been employed to give 
size to the Dorking. In the same manner new permanent 
varieties of pigeons are often produced, generally coming to us 
from Germany, in which country the fanciers are much more 
experimental than in England, where they adhere to the old 
breeds with a true John Bull tenacity." 



74 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

Applying the above scientific and lucid remai'ks to the sub- 
ject under discussion, it is now universally admitted by all who 
have studied the matter that every variety of the domestic fowl 
has originated in a wild bird still existing — the common Jungle 
Fowl of India, known to naturalists as the Gallics Banhiva of 
Temminck, or Galius ferrugineus of Gmelin. To describe this 
bird minutely is unnecessary ; it will be enough to say that, 
except in the tail of the cock being more depressed, it resembles 
very closely the variety known as Black-breasted Red Game. 
The assertion that all our modern breeds should be derived 
from this fowl may seem at first sight a large demand on our 
credulity ; but such a fact is not more wonderful than that a 
cart-horse should have descended from the same original stock 
as the Arabian, or that an Italian greyhound and a Newfound- 
land should have common progenitors, about which no natu- 
ralist has the slightest doubt. The process is simple, and 
easily understood. Even in the wild state the original breed 
will show some amount of variation in colour, form, and size ; 
whilst in domestication the tendency to change, as every one 
knows, is very much increased. By breeding from birds which 
show any marked feature, stock is obtained of which a portion 
will possess that feature in an increased degree ; and by again 
selecting the best specimens, the special points sought may be 
developed to almost any degree required. 

A good example of such a process of development may be 
seen in the " white face " so conspicuous in the Spanish breed. 
White ears will be observed occasionally in all fowls ; even in 
such breeds as Cochins or Brahmas, where white ear-lobes are 
considered almost fatal blemishes, they continually occur, and 
by selecting only white- eared specimens to breed from, they 
might be speedily fixed in any variety as one of the charac- 
teristics. A large pendent white ear-lobe once firmly established, 
tiaces of the white face will now and then be found, and by 
a similar method is capable of development and fixture ; whilst 



EFFECTS OF SELECTION - . 75 

any colour of plumage or of leg may be obtained and established 
in the same way. The original amount of character required 
is very slight ; a single hen-tailed cock will be enough to give 
that characteristic to a whole breed ; and the two laced pullets 
mentioned under the head of Brahmas in the next Section 
would be quite enough, in skilful bands, to lay the foundation 
of a new and beautiful variety. 

Any peculiarity of constitution, such as constant laying, 
or frequent incubation, may be developed and perpetuated 
in a similar mannei', all that is necessary being care and 
time. 

That such has been the method employed in the formation 
of the more distinct races of our poultry, is proved by the fact 
that a continuance of the same careful selection is needful to 
perpetuate them in perfection. If the very best examples of a 
breed are selected as the starting point, and the produce is bred 
from indiscriminately for many generations, the distinctive 
points, whatever they are, rapidly decline, and there is also a 
more or less gradual but sure return to the primitive wild type, 
in size and even colour of the plumage. The purest black or 
white originally, rapidly becomes first marked with, and ulti- 
mately changed into the original red or brown, whilst the other 
features simultaneously disappear. 

If, however, the process of artificial selection be carried too 
far, and with reference only to one prominent point, any breed 
is almost sure to suffer in the other qualities which have been 
neglected, and this has been the case with the very breed 
already mentioned — the white-faced Spanish. We know from 
old fanciers that this breed was formerly considered hardy, and 
even in winter rarely failed to afford a constant supply of its 
unequalled large white eggs. But of late .years attention has 
been so exclusively directed to the " white face," that whilst 
this feature has been developed and perfected to a degree never 
before known, the breed has become one of the most delicate 



76 BREEDING ANP EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTBY 

of all, and the laying qualities of at least many strains hare 
greatly fallen off. 

It would be difficult to avoid such evil results if it were not 
for a valuable compensating principle, which admits of crossing. 
That principle is, that any desired point possessed in perfection 
by a foreign breed, may be introduced by crossing into a strain 
it is desired to improve, and every other characteristic of the 
cross be, by. selection, afterwards bred out again. Or one or 
more of these additional characteristics may be also retained, 
and thus a new variety be established, as many have been 
within the last few years. 

A thorough understanding of both the foregoing principles 
is so important, that we shall endeavour to illustrate each by 
examples. 

Without foundation by long-continued selection no strain 
can be depended on. For instance — the Grey Dorking is a 
breed which assumes within certain limits almost any variety 
of colour, and occasionally, amongst othei-s, that now known as 
"silver-grey." By breeding from these birds, and selecting 
from the progeny only the silver-greys, that colour has been 
established, like any other might be, as a permanent variety, 
which breeds true to feather with very little variation. Now 
a pen of birds precisely similar in colour and appearance may, 
as at first, be produced from ordinary coloured Dorkings, and 
shown as silver-greys; and the most severe test may fail to dis- 
cover any apparent difference between them and the purest- 
bred pen in the same show. J3ut breeding would show the 
distinction instantly : whilst one pen would breed true to itself, 
and produce silver-grey chickens, the accidental pen would 
chiefly produce ordinary Dorkings, with very few silver-greys 
amongst them ; and though in time, by continuing to select 
these, a pure strain would ultimately be established, for imme- 
diate purposes the pen, as silvers, would be worthless. We 
know this to have been the case, to the great disappointment 



EESULTS OF CROSSING. 7? 

of purchasers. Conversely, even well-established silver-grey 
Dorkings, if bred from indiscriminately, will, by degrees, lose 
their distinctive colour, and go back to the ordinary grey stock 
from which they first sprang. 

The coloured Dorking also exhibits very plainly the opera- 
tion of crossing. It is evidently the produce of a cross between 
the original white Dorking and the lai-ge coloured Surrey fowl, 
as is proved by the fact that whilst the white Dorking — long 
established — invariably bred the fifth toe as its distinguishing 
characteristic, the coloured variety was for many years most 
uncertain in that respect. Still the fifth toe was introduced, 
along with the shape and aptitude to fatten ; and by careful 
selection the colour and size of the Surrey fowl have been 
retained, whilst the tendency to only one toe behind, introduced 
by the cross, has been effectually eradicated, and the grey Dor- 
king now breeds in this particular as true as the white. 

The same fowl has been undeniably crossed with the 
Cochin in order to gain size, which has been retained to the 
great benefit of the breed, whilst all disposition to feather on 
the legs has been entirely bred out again. Game, again, has 
been repeatedly introduced into Dorking strains in order to 
gain constitution. 

In the same way, when a race of Game fowls has been 
reduced in size, strength, and ferocity, by long interbreeding 
through fear of injuring the strain, a cross of the large, strong, 
and ferocious Malay at once restores the defective points, whilst 
all evidences of it are removed in three or four generations. 

Perhaps, however, the most " artfully contrived " bird, and 
the best example of both principles combined, is to be found in 
the well-known laced Bantams of Sir John Sebright. This 
breed was founded by crossing the old Nankin Bantam with 
Polish fowls whose markings had a well-defined, laced character. 
Lacing was thus imported into the Bantam breed, and by 
careful selection was develojsed and rendered perfect, whilst by 



78 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OP BRIZE BOULTRY. 

the same process the Polish crest -was effectually banished. 
This much being already accomplished, as we are informed by 
his son,* a hen-tailed Bantam cock accidentally met with 
struck Sir John's fancy, and added that peculiarity to the 
strain, which has now been for many years firmly established, 
and breeds as true as any, though so extremely artificial in its 
original " construction." 

The last example we shall mention is the breed known as 
Black Hamburghs, which has been "made" within the last few 
years. That it has been obtained by crossing the Hamburg 
with the Spanish is proved sometimes too plainly by the evident 
traces of " white face" still lingering even in prize specimens ; but 
the evidence of the cross will soon by selection be entirely bred 
out, and the breed has already made good its claim to a distinct 
class at most shows. The advantages gained by the cross are 
great. The size of the bird has been increased, and we have 
the enormous egg-producing powers of the Hamburgh race 
with a larger egg, thus doing away with the weak point of that 
beautiful breed. 

But, it may be said, if these principles are correct, it would 
follow that the power of the breeder is almost unlimited. 
A.nd practically it is so : there are within certain limits hardly 
any bounds to what may be effected by the scientific experi- 
mentalist. That so little has been done is mainly because the 
principles themselves have been so little understood, and most 
fanciers have been content to go on with the established varieties 
as they are, without any attempt to modify or improve them. 
There is another reason in the uttei want of attention in this 
country to anything but colour of plumage and other " fancy" 
characteristics; and we cannot but think that bur Poultry 
Shows have to some extent, by the character of the judging, 
hindered the improvement of many breeds. It will be readily 

* It is only right to say that for these facts respecting the Sebright 
Bantams we are indebted to " The Pou'try Book." 



UTILITY TO BE STL0IED. 79 

admitted in theory that a breed of fowls becomes more and more 
valuable as its capacity of producing eggs is increased, and the 
quantity and quality of its flesh are improved, with a small 
amount of bone and offal in proportion. But, if we except the 
Dorking, which certainly is judged to some extent as a table 
fowl, all this is totally lost sight of both by breeders and 
judges, and attention is fixed exclusively upon colour, comb, 
face, and other equally fancy " points." 

"We cannot but deeply regret this. We have shown how 
readily beauty and utility might be both secured ; and we do 
earnestly hope that even these pages may have some effect in 
stirring up our poultry-fanciers to the improvement in real 
value, without by any means neglecting the beauty, of their 
favourite breeds. The French have taught us a lesson of 
some value in this respect. Within a comparatively recent 
period they have produced, by crossing and selection, four new 
varieties, which, although inferior in some points to others of 
older standing, are all eminently valuable as table-fowls ; and 
which in one particular are superior to any English variety, 
not even excepting the Dorking — we mean the very small 
proportion of bone and offal. This is really useful and scientific 
breeding, brought to bear upon one definite object, and we do 
trust the result will prove suggestive with regard to others 
equally valuable. 

We should be afraid to say how much might be done if 
English breeders would bring their perseverance and experi- 
ence to bear in a similar direction. We have not, however, 
the slightest doubt that a breed of any desired colour might in 
a few years be produced, combining the Dorking quality of 
flesh with the prolificacy and hardihood of the Brahma, of 
which the cocks should weigh 20 lbs., and the hens 15 lbs. each. 
Many will question this : we simply say, that no one has yet 
attempted it, and that no one will doubt its possibility who 
knows the weights which have been occasionally attained in 



80 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

some of our largest breeds, and who has examined carefully 
into the effects already produced by judicious selection and 
crossing. But to obtain such a result, it must be systematically 
sought, and this will never be till the seeking is systematically- 
encouraged by committees and judges. 

In what way this could best be done, it is scarcely our 
province to decide ; we shall be only too satisfied if our 
remarks be in any degree the means of directing attention to 
the importance of the subject. We believe, however, that a 
special prize of some value, announced annually, for award to 
the best pen, either of any known or new breed, for economic 
purposes, would shortly produce fowls, well established as a 
variety, that would astonish many old poultry-fanciers. Agri- 
cultural Societies in particular might be expected in tlieir 
exhibitions to show some interest in the improvement of 
poultry regarded as useful stock, and to them especially we 
commend the matter. 



CHAPTER IX. 

ON THE PRACTICAL SELECTION AND CARE OF BREEDING STOCK, AND 
THE REARING OF CHICKENS FOR EXHIBITION. 

We have in the last chapter treated of the more theoretical 
principles which the breeder may employ in the accomplishment 
of any desired end; we have now to consider those practical 
points which the poultry-keeper must keep in mind if he desires 
to attain success in competition. 

It is quite certain that there is nothing so unprofitable as to 
commence "poultry-fancying" with inferior fowls ; and as there 
are always numbers of unscrupulous individuals who endeavour 
to impose upon the unwary, special caution is needed in the 
purchase of the original stock. If the reader be inexperienced, 
he should, if it be possible, secure the assistance of some friend 



BEST AGE TO BREED FROM. 81 

apon whose judgment lie can thoroughly rely ; failing this, he 
should endeavour, not only by studying the descriptions, but by 
frequenting good shows, and seeing and comparing the live 
birds themselves, to become acquainted -with at least the main 
points of the breed to -which his preference inclines. To buy of 
unknown advertisers is always a great risk, and it will generally 
be found more economical in the long run to apply, in the first 
place, to known and eminent exhibitors, whose character stands 
too hio-h to admit the suspicion of any wilful deception. Such 
breeders, it is true, will generally demand high prices for really 
good stock ; but then the stock will be good, which is by far 
the most important point. Birds may also be purchased at 
shows ; but in this case, if it is intended to breed from a single 
pen, it should be ascertained whether or not the cock is related 
to his hens, and if so, he should be exchanged for one of another 
family. In any case, the greatest care should be taken that the 
birds chosen are of pure race ; it should be remembered that 
mere appearance is not always sufficient, as we have shown in 
the last chapter ; and it is therefore most desirable to know 
the pedigree also. 

At the very outset the question occurs, What is the best 
age to breed from 1 and we have no hesitation in replying that, 
according to the testimony of nearly all the best authorities, it 
is better the ages of the cock and hens should vary. It seems 
also generally admitted that the strongest and best chickens are 
produced from a cockerel nearly a year old mated with hens 
twelve months older ; but, unfortunately, the chickens of such 
parents invariably have a large proportion of cocks, and most 
breeders therefore prefer a two-year-old cock with well-grown 
pullets not less than nine months in age. It must not, however, 
be supposed that either rule is imperative, or that good chickens 
are not to be expected from birds all hatched about the same 
time. In this case, however, it is advisable that all the 
fowls should be fully twelve months old; if younger, the 

G 



82 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

chickens are usually backward in fledging. Fowls are good for 
breeding up to the age of four years, but are of little value 
afterwards. 

To avoid any near relationship is most important ; but 
many works have laid far too much stress upon the necessity of 
continually introducing what they call "fresh blood." It is 
certainly most destructive to breed from members of the same 
family, and to go on promiscuously interbreeding in one yard 
is still worse ; but if there be a number of separate runs, in 
which separate races can be reared, operations may be carried 
on for many successive years without a cross from any other 
yard. It is the more necessary to explain this, because when 
any strain has been brought to high excellence, the introduction 
of a bird from another is a very serious thing, and we have 
personally known, in more than one instance, to ruin the pro- 
duce of a whole year. 

The plan to be adopted is to note down most carefully the 
parentage of every brood, and to keep the chickens from one 
family together until they are required. The breeding-yards 
for next year are then to be made up from the best specimens, 
taking care not only that the cocks and hens are not related 
inter se, but that two runs at least are thus made up without 
any fraternal relationship between them. Unrelated chickens 
will thus be secured for next year also ; and so the system can 
be carried on. It is also a good plan, where it can be adopted, 
to put a promising young cockerel out to " walk " at a farm, 
or in some brother fancier's yard, and bring him back in 
a year or two, when the relationship between him and the 
pullets of the year will be too remote to be of very much 
consequence. 

If a bird is occasionally introduced from another strain — 
and it certainly is advisable now and then, especially in the 
case of Dorkings — we can only say that the extremest care 
must be taken to ensure he is of good pedigree, as well as a 



SELECTION OF THE 1'ARENTS. 83 

perfect specimen in outward appearance of tlie breed to which 
he belongs. 

Long experience has ascertained that the male bird haa 
most influence upon the colour of the progeny, and also upon 
the comb, and what may be called the " fancy points/' of any 
breed generally ; whilst the form, size, and useful qualities are 
principally derived from the hen. Now it cannot be denied 
that it is desirable to secure absolutely perfect birds in all 
respects of both sexes if possible ; but alas ! every amateur 
knows too well the great scarcity of such, and the above fact 
therefore becomes of great importance in selecting a breeding- 
pen. For instance, a cock may have been hatched late in the 
year, and therefore be decidedly under the proper standard in 
point of size, and inferior for a show pen ; but if his colour, 
plumage, comb, and other points — whatever they may be — are 
perfect, and he be active and lively, he may make a first-class 
bird for breeding when mated with good hens. A hen, again, 
if of large size and good shape, is not to be hastily condemned 
for a faulty feather or two, or even for a defective comb, if not 
too glaringly apparent — though the last fault is a serious one in 
either sex. But a very bad coloured or faulty-combed cock, 
however excellent in point of size, or a very small or ill-shaped 
hen, however exquisite in regard to colour, will invariably 
produce chickens of a very indifferent order. 

It is also to be observed, with regard to the crosssing of a 
breed, that the cockerels in the progeny will more or less re- 
semble the father, whilst the pullets follow the mother. A. 
knowledge of this fact will save much time in "breeding 
back" to the original strain, and much disappointment in the 
effect of the cross. For instance, if it be desired to increase 
size, a cross with a hen of foreign breed should be employed, 
and the same if it be sought to introduce a more prominent 
breast, or any other peculiarity of shape ; but if it is the 
plumage which is to be modified, it is the male bird who 

o 2 



84 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

should be thrown in. In breeding the cross out again, or in 
retaining any new characteristic, so as to form a fresh variety, 
the same ride must be kept in mind. 

We believe that much disappointment and uncertainty in 
the results of crossing has been owing to a neglect or ignorance 
of this simple principle, and breeding from either sex in- 
differently. If this be done, the result will often be worthless, 
and in every case the time consumed wdl be much greater than 
is necessary ; but if scientifically conducted, we believe crossing 
would improve many of our older breeds in size, hardihood, and 
utility, without in any measure detracting from those qualities 
for which they are valued. 

The care and preservation in good condition of valuable 
fowls is an important point. With regard to mere health, 
nothing can be added to what has already been treated of in 
the preceding section. But it frequently happens that, on 
account of the high price, only a single pen of three first-class 
birds can be afforded ; and if such a family be penned up by 
itself, the frequent attentions of the cock will soon render the 
hens unfit for exhibition, whilst the birds may also mope, for 
want of more companionship. To avoid this, a couple more of 
ordinary hens should be added, taking care that the eggs be of 
a different colour, or otherwise easily distinguished from those 
of the breeding-pen itself. The plumage of the hens or pullets 
will then be preserved, without injuring the character of the 
progeny. We should, however, prefer mating the cock with 
four good hens of his own breed, — a plan more really econo- 
mical, as the cost of the cock, in proportion to the number of 
eggs for sitting, is thereby reduced. 

The number of liens, if good size and vigour are desired, 
should not exceed four. Many breeders allow six ; but the 
finest fowls of the larger kinds are bred from the proportion 
we have stated. 

It is desirable also, as much as possible, to save the hens from 



FAILURES IN PRIZE EGGS. 85 

the wear and tear of chickens, which often injure the plumage 
greatly. It will not answer to prevent them sitting altogether • 
we have already remarked that such a procedure often causes 
them to suffer in moulting, which should not be risked. 
Neither do we altogether approve of the plan followed by 
many, of allowing them to hatch, and then giving the chickens 
to other hens. This may be done, if necessary, but a better 
system, where there is convenience for it, is to set a valuable 
hen upon duck eggs. The ducklings will not only resort to 
the hen to be brooded much less frequently than chickens, but 
will be far earlier independent of her care, and leave her 
in much better condition than if she had hatched her own 

e gg & - 

With regard to hatching, it is desirable with the hardier 
breeds to get the eggs under the hen as soon after January as 
a sitter can be obtained, in order that the brood may have all 
the year to grow in, and be ready for the earlier shows- 
At this season, however, the limitation as to number, men- 
tioned iD Chapter IV., must be strictly enforced, and no hen 
given more than seven or eight eggs, six chickens being as 
many as are desirable, in order that they may be well covered 
by the hen when partly grown, which is their most critical 
period as exhibition fowls. Spanish, Dorkings, or other deli- 
cate breeds, should not be hatched till April or May, unless 
unusually good shelter is at command. 

As eggs are often purchased for hatching, it is necessary to 
allude to the frequent disappointments experienced in this 
respect, and which are far too frequently attributed, in no 
measured terms, to fraud on the part of the seller. Now we 
certainly cannot deny that such fraud is only too common. We 
know of one case where the fact was put beyond a doubt by 
examination, proving that the eggs purchased from a well- 
known exhibitor were actually boiled ; but we honestly believe 
that the great majority of breeders would scorn such pro- 



86 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

cyclings. It should be remembered, in the first place, that 
highly-bred birds are seldom so prolific as more ordinary stock, 
and are generally rather too fat for full health and vigour. 
Too many eggs — the full dozen — are likewise very often set, at 
seasons when the hen cannot give them heat enough ; so that 
all get chilled in turn, and disappointment ensues. Bad 
packing also causes its share of failures ; and, lastly, eggs are 
sometimes kept a week or fortnight after receipt before 
setting, which is always, but especially after a railway journey, 
most injurious. We can only recommend — 1. That a hen be 
ready for the eggs before they are ordered. 2. That they be 
procured from a breeder of known honour and probity. 3. That 
especial directions be given that they are well packed. 4. That 
they be put under the hen immediately upon their arrival. And 
5. That in cold weather the eggs be divided, so as not to exceed 
the number stated under each hen. 

Eggs are best packed in small baskets, with the top tied 
down. If in boxes, the covers should be tied down or screwed, 
not nailed on any account, or every egg will be endangered. 
The best packing is to wrap every egg carefully in a separate 
wisp of soft hay ; then to wrap each so enclosed in paper, to 
keep the hay from slipping off ; and, finally, to imbed the eggs, 
thus guarded, in hay cut into 2-inch lengths ; chaff or bran is too 
solid. Eggs so packed will go hundreds of miles without injury. 

The chickens being hatched, let the utmost care be taken 
of them in every way. The object in this branch of poultry- 
breeding is not, as in the last section, to get a profitable amount 
of meat with the least possible expenditure in food ; but, the 
birds being presumably good in quality, to get them by any 
means to the greatest possible size. For although size is never 
the first point considered, except perhaps in the case of 
Dorkings, it not unfrequently gives the casting vote between 
two contending pens, and is itself a most desirable point in 
nearly every fowl. Game and Bantams may be excepted. 



CARE AND FEEDING OF CHICKENS. 87 

The best stock food is undoubtedly oatmeal, and for valua- 
ble chickens it should be used liberally. With respect to this 
part of the treatment, however, we will give at length the 
remarks of one of the most successful breeders of Brahmas (the 
largest variety of fowl known), whose birds have in point of 
size been usually beyond all competition, and who has most 
kindly described for this work the system which has had such 
satisfactory results. The same feeding is applicable in every 
case where size is a point of merit. 

" If the chickens are early hatched, I coop the hen in a 
warm sheltered place, free from all intrusion, and should the 
weather be very severe keep them within doors ; the floor, 
however, must be gravel. Till about a fortnight old I feed 
them on sops made with boiled milk, and sweetened with 
coarse sugar, mixing it for the first two or three days equally 
with yolk of egg boiled hard and chopped fine. The egg is, 
however, too "binding" to be continued longer. The first 
thing in the morning they have warmed milk to drink ; there 
is nothing equal to this for bringing them on in cold weather. 
If the chicks are weakly, yolk of egg beaten up and given to 
drink is the most strengthening thing I know. In water they 
are of course unlimited, and they also have plenty of fresh 
gi-ass cut small. I also throw them two or three times a day 
a handful of coarse raw oatmeal. 

" I feed like this, on milk sops, raw oatmeal, &c, with milk 
every morning, for about a fortnight, after which they have 
boiled oatmeal porridge made so stiff that it will crumble when 
cool. They grow amazingly fast on this food, and are very fond 
of it. I also give them boiled rice occasionally, and frequently 
throw them groats, giving them also a little fresh cooked meat 
at dinner-time, cut up fine. Of course they are fed every 
night, after dark, usually about ten o'clock. There is at first a 
little difficulty in getting them out to feed at night; but they 
soon learn the time, and will run out eagerly for their ' stir- 



88 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

about,' which, if made thick enough, they prefer to any other 
food. The mode of preparation is to boil a saucepan full of 
water, and throw in as much oatmeal as will take it all up . 
Then continue stirring till it is a stiff crumbly mass, after 
which turn it out upon a large plate and keep stirring it about 
with the spoon till cool enough to be eaten. 

" At ten weeks old, all the waste birds should be picked out 
to make more room for the others, and the cockerels separated 
from the pullets. The main food will still consist of the por- 
ridge, with small tail wheat, good heavy oats, and 'plenty of 
green food. Good potatoes boiled and mashed are also excel- 
lent food for a change. 

"A little camphor put in their drinking water will help 
very much to keep them in health." 

We have little to add to the above remai'ks. We do not 
ourselves approve of giving bread sops so long, and feel sure, 
after trial, that chickens get on better by substituting oatmeal 
after the first day or two, or indeed from the day they break 
the shell. In cold weather also, a little sulphate of iron, or 
" Douglas mixture " should always be added to the water, and 
a little bread soaked in ale will be found beneficial. The warm 
milk is excellent, and is much better than the plan recom- 
mended by many of giving custard ; the latter is too pamper- 
ing, and after it chickens will sometimes refuse plain whole- 
some food. For weakly chickens, however, it is most strength- 
ing to mix up a raw egg with their oatmeal. Above all, unless 
they have a good run on grass, the supply of green food must 
be unlimited. 

For prize chickens, it is a good plan to mix with their meal 
a portion of the various condiments known as "cattle food" or 
"cattle spices." The appetite is thereby increased, and in 
confinement the birds grow faster and keep in better condition. 

Feed often — every hour, if possible, from daybreak, and let 
the food be always fresh — nothing but grain or dry meal 



MEANS OF GETTING SIZE. 09 

being ever allowed to remain. With such treatment and good 
shelter, if the stock be good and the number has been judi- 
ciously limited, the hen will not fail to bring a fair proportion 
through the most inclement season, and they will be sure to 
reach a good standard in point of size, having the best time of 
the year before them when they really begin to grow. 

It is necessary to give one more caution. Do not let prize 
chickens roost too soon — never before they are at least three 
months old — and then see that the perches are large enough, 
and not round on the top, but like the flat side of an oval. If 
they leave the hen before the proper age for roosting, let them 
have every night a good bed of nice clean dry ashes. "We 
never allow our own chickens, even while with the hen, to bed 
upon strav : ashes are much cleaner, and if supplied an inch 
deep are warmer also. To this plan we attribute a very small 
proportion of losses, even in very severe weather. 

If a good field or other grass run be at command, the 
chickens will of course have it, and it will go a long way in 
supplying all other defective arrangements. But to our own 
knowledge some of the finest and largest fowls we have ever 
seen have been reared in a gravelled yard, not more than 
eighteen feet square. In such circumstances, besides the most 
scrupulous cleanliness and good feeding in other respects, there 
must be green food ad libitum — really fine chickens cannot 
be reared without it, their plumage in particular being of a 
very inferior appearance, and quite devoid of that beautiful 
"bloom" which is now indispensable to success in the show-pen. 

But with proper care, and attention to the above plain direc- 
tions, there should be noJack in due season of good fine birds. 
As they grow, and get through their first moult, they will be 
anxiously scanned, and let the best have especial care, taking 
out for the table all which are manifestly not up to the mark, 
that the rest may have more attention. We have already said 
that the sexes should be separated. This is highly essential m 



90 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

tLe larger varieties to good size, as too early a call on nature 
degenerates the breed ; and had it been acted upon earlier by 
exhibitors of poultry, we believe the standard of weight in most 
fowls would have been now considerably higher than it is. 
There will thus be secured also greater vigour and fertility 
during the breeding season. The cockerel should not be put 
with the pullets intended for exhibition with him, till a fort- 
night before the show, but it is desh*able that the pullets should 
have a little longer to get used to each other if they have been 
previously separated. 

With the special treatment in view of exhibition, however, 
we will begin another Chapter. 



CHAPTER X. 

ON "CONDITION," AND THE PREPARATION OF FOWLS FOR EXHI- 
BITION; AND VARIOUS OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED WITH 
SHOWS. 

Chickens are rarely fit for exhibition until at least six months 
old, or even more. If the cockerels and pullets have been 
separated, as recommended in the last Chapter, there will 
rarely have been any eggs laid before this time ; and stimula- 
ting food should now be partially discontinued to retard their 
production as long as possible, bearing in mind that the com- 
mencement of laying almost, if not quite, stops the growth, 
which it is desirable to prolong as far as possible for exhibition 
birds. In this respect the fancier and the ordinary poultry- 
keeper proceed upon contrary principles, the one endeavouring 
to get his pullets into laying order as soon as he can, the other 
using every expedient to procure a precisely opposite result. 

If the chickens have been from the very shell properly and 
systematically fed, they will, by the time they are fit for show- 



GOOD CONDITION. 91 

ing, be in quite as good condition as they ought to be. By- 
giving them two or three times a-day as much soft food as they 
will eat, they may easily be got up to any degree of obesity ; 
and such a system of feeding is necessary to success at some 
shows, where the judges seem ignorant of the proper condition 
of a really healthy fowl ; but we must most emphatically raise 
our voice against the practice. Let it be remembered that 
birds so fattened are, comparatively at least, for ever ruined for 
breeding purposes ; that few chickens will ever be hatched from 
them, and those few delicate and sickly ; and the reflection may 
perhaps cause the breeder to hesitate before he sacrifices, it may 
be the best stock in his yard, to any exhibition shrine. We 
cannot too severely condemn the conduct of those judges, who 
by their decisions help to maintain such prejudicial practices, 
and thereby render practically barren many of the finest birds 
ever bred. We have known a splendid pen of Dorkings, far 
superior in real size, as measured by the framework of the fowl, 
passed by contemptuously because inferior in mere dead weight 
to a pen which it would have been hopeless to breed from. 
There are, however, honourable exceptions : the most eminent 
judge in England always refuses to award a prize to a pen 
which he considers over-fattened ; and thereby does all he can 
to check a system which prevents many celebrated breeders from 
sending at all to shows where such practices are known to 
prevail. 

What we consider — and our opinion is corroborated by 
the best judges — to be really "good condition," is such an 
amount of flesh as can be carried consistently with perfect 
health and fecundity, combined with clean, well-ordered plumage. 
It is in the last particular that a good grass-ran is so advan- 
tageous ; fowls always look clean and nice when so kept, and 
rarely require much further preparation beyond washing the 
feet and legs. 

With a good number of such birds to choose from, there 



92 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

should be little difficulty in " matching a pen," even for Bir- 
mingham or Manchester. Matching, is a matter of no small 
moment, as bad selection is fatal. Each bird is of course sup- 
posed to be of a fair good size, and tolerably perfect in form, 
colour, and feather. The two hens must then be carefully 
examined and compared with each other. Let it first be seen 
that the colour of their legs, eyes, and plumage generally cor- 
responds, and that their combs and general proportions are 
alike also. Then let every part be examined in detail, see- 
ing that the neck-hackle, back, and tail are the same in colour 
and marking ; then the breast and wings. If all be satisfac- 
tory, and the birds be up to the mark, they should have a good 
chance of winning. 

And let them not be judged too severely. Let the owner 
remember that few birds are absolutely perfect ; and that 
whilst he, well knowing every fault, may see most plainly the 
blemishes in his own pen, impartial judges often have to weigh 
other blemishes against these, and he may thus win after all. 
Glaring faults cannot of course be passed over ; but fair general 
excellence will often win the day against a pen far superior in 
some respects, if accompanied by some decided blemish. 

The pens should be matched and the birds put together at 
least ten days before the show prepared for, in order that the 
fowls may get thoroughly used to each other. Neglect of this 
precaution may cause much fighting and destruction of plumage 
in the exhibition pen, or on the road thither, and not unfre- 
quently loses a prize. 

For the following observations on preparation for and send- 
ing to exhibition, we are indebted to Mr. F. Wragg, the 
well-known superintendent of the poultry-yard of R. "W. 
Boyle, Esq. When it is remembered that this gentleman's 
fowls have always to undergo a sea voyage from Ireland, in 
addition to the ordinary railway journey, previous to exhi- 
bition, the beautiful "bloom" and condition in which they 



TREATMENT BEFORE EXHIBITION. 93 

invariably appear, will cause his remarks to be appreciated by 
all amateurs. 

" The system I pursue previous to sending to shows is as 
follows : — About a week beforehand I select the pen I intend 
to send, seeing, of course, that they match well, and carefully 
wash their heads and legs. I then have a nice dry room pretty 
thickly covered with clean straw, in which I put them, scatter- 
ing a few handfuls of wheat amongst it. They scratch the 
straw about searching for the grains, and thus clean themselves 
beautifully without further trouble. The birds being kept up 
by themselves get so used to each other they never quarrel, 
either on the journey or in the pen. They have to drink clean 
water with a little sulphate of iron dissolved, which causes a 
bright red colour in the ears and comb, and makes them look 
well and sprightly. 

" They are fed on oatmeal and Indian meal well boiled to- 
gether, with a small quantity of salt just to season it ; when 
properly done it is like a thick jelly. Twice, however, during 
the week, not more, they have rice, which is prepared by adding 
1 lb. to a pint of water, and boiling till the water is absorbed, 
then adding as much milk as it will take up without getting 
thin, with a handful of coarse brown sugar ; keep stirring the 
whole till done, and then put in a bowl to cool. Of this they 
are very fond, and it keeps them from purging. I also give 
them plenty of fresh green food. 

" In their hamper I put, of course, plenty of clean soft 
straw. I also tie on one side of it, near the top, a fresh-pulled 
cabbage, and on the other side a good piece of the bottom side 
of a loaf, of which they will eat away all the soft part. Before 
starting I give each bird half a table-spoonful of port wine, 
which makes them sleep a good part of the journey. Of course, 
if I go with my birds, as I generally do, I see that they, as 
well as myself, have " refreshment " on the road. 

" With regard to what you have remarked about showing 



94 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

birds fat, I never do so. As you truly observe, many birds are 
ruined by it. Good, healthy condition, with a nice gloss on 
the feathers, is what I aim at in exhibiting, and the treatment 
I have described is what I have found best calculated to 
attain it." 

Little can be added to these directions from so high an 
authority. For white fowls, however, or which have much 
white in their plumage, the cleansing process above described 
will often be found insufficient. In such cases the birds must 
be carefully washed with soap and water the night befwe 
sending off. Take a fine sponge, and, having well soaped it, 
smooth down every feather repeatedly, so as to clean without 
ruffling it ; then repeat the process with water only till the 
soap is removed, and, lastly, with a soft towel. Let the birds 
be then left for the night in a box well littered with clean 
straw, open to, but not too near, the fire. Soda should never 
be used, as it stains the feathers yellow ; and even the soap 
must be mild, without much free alkali. . If they have had 
an extensive run on grass, however, the whitest fowls 
scarcely ever need washing, except as regards their feet and 
legs, giving also attention to the comb and wattles, if neces- 
sary. It is the poor dwellers in towns who have to take such 
precautions, and have so much to contend against. Yet, in' 
spite of all this, we often see town breeders beating the very 
best country yards; and the fact proves that care and good 
system are of even more importance than any mere natural 
advantages. 

Many exhibitors recommend the giving of linseed for a 
week before exhibition. Its use is to impart lustre to the 
plumage, which it does by increasing the secretion of oiL The 
fowls generally refuse the seed whole, and the best method of 
administration is to add a small portion of the meal daily to 
the ordinary soft food. A. preferable plan, however, and one 
which agrees better with the health of the fowls, is to let the 



BEST FORM OF HAMPER. 95 

evening repast of grain for the last fortnight consist of buck- 
wheat and hempseed in equal portions, which will be equally 
effective, and is greedily devoured by the birds, adding also to 
the beauty of the combs and wattles. We recently exhibited, 
at a first-class show, a pen of dark Brahma chickens, which 
took the first prize. The redness of the combs and the ex- 
quisite gloss on the plumage — every feather shining like velvet 
— were much admired ; and we have repeatedly been asked the 
means by which such condition was attained. The only secret 
was the use of hempseed and buckwheat, with "Douglas 
mixture" (see page 30) in the drinking water, combined, of 
course, with good feeding generally. 

Much difference of opinion exists as to the best form of ham- 
per, but general experience approves most of a round shape, of a 
size to give just ample room to the fowls which have to be shown. 
Square corners are apt to catch the tails, and cause damage. For 
Spanish or other large-combed breeds it is best to have no 
cover, simply stitching a strong piece of canvas over the top ; 
but for most fowls a wicker top is best, as affording more pro- 
tection. It is of some consequence to committees that these 
covers should be fiat, in order that the baskets may be com- 
pactly stowed away in the exhibition-hall. 

In cold weather let the hamper be well lined with canvas, 
or straw stitched to the wicker-work. And if occupied by geese, 
let special care be taken that their bills cannot reach either the 
string fastenings or the direction-labels. They have a peculiar 
fancy for breakfasting upon those articles ; and even fowls will 
occasionally contract the rame vicious habit. 

All has now been done that can be done, and the rest must 
be left to the decision of the judges. It is but rarely that 
fault can be found with their verdict : their duties are most 
arduous, and the manner in which, as a rule, they discharge 
them is deserving of the highest praise ; but one or two 
are known to have certain invincible prejudices, which 



96 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

prevent them from judging some classes in accordance 
with the general rules as understood by the majority. 
This is to be regretted, as it hinders the good under- 
standing which always ought to exist between judges and ex- 
hibitors. The object of both ought to be identical — the 
promotion of the highest standard obtainable in the different 
breeds, but it is necessary to this that the breeder should know 
definitely and authoritatively ivhat he is to seek after. The 
" Standard of Excellence " did good service here, and was much 
wanted, but it is silent on many points, and, with reference to 
some others, is avowedly ignored by many judges. We think 
there is much need for a revised and larger work on the same 
basis ;* and, in the meantime, it is our opinion that exhibitors 
have decidedly a right to know beforehand who are to judge 
their birds. To call upon them to send their best stock to a 
show where, it may be, the judges' known prejudices on certain 
points give them no chance of a prize, is evidently unfair. 

But we ai'e leaving the fowls, and must return to them, 
though we have little more to add. "Whether they require any 
special treatment on their return will chiefly depend upon the 
system of feeding which has been pursued during the period of 
exhibition. If, as is too often the case, the pernicious plan of 
feeding on whole barley ad libitum has been retained, the birds 
will all be more or less feverish and disturbed, and will need 
a corrective. But such feeding cannot be too strongly con- 
demned. It saves trouble certainly, but if a committee are not 
willing to take so much pains as will keep the birds in perfect 
health, they have no right to gather them together. We have 
the highest possible authority for saying that the best feeding 
is either barleymeal or oatmeal in the morning, mixed rather 
dry, and given before the public are admitted, with wheat in the 

* Vsry complete scales of points, founded on actual analysis of modem 
judging, have, since these remarks were written, been published by the author 
in "The Illustrated Book of Poultry." 



TREATMENT AFTER EXHIBITION. 97 

evening; and, in each, case, only as much as the fowls will eat at 
once, without leaving any in the pens. Only these two meals 
should be given, as the birds have no exercise, and do not 
require more, besides which, the natural excitement of the show 
is best counteracted by a rather spare diet. "Water should be 
given three times a day for a short time only — say five or ten 
minutes — not left for the birds to drink at will. Barley ought 
not to be used at all, as it is next to impossible it can be 
properly digested. 

Fowls fed as here recommended will be returned in as good 
condition as they were sent, and require no attention at all 
beyond seeing that they do not get too much water and green 
food at first. But if they return from a "barley- fed" show, or 
the system on which they have been fed is unknown, or, in any 
case, if they appear either feverish or " overdone," give each a 
rather scanty meal of stale bread-crumb soaked in warm ale, let 
them have two or three sips only of rather tepid water, and then 
administer a tea-spoonful of castor-oil to each bird. This will 
probably be at night. Next day feed them on meal only in 
moderation, see that they cannot drink to excess, and give 
them half a cabbage-leaf each, or a large sod of grass, but no 
other green food ; afterwards let them return to their usual 
diet. It is in all cases safest not to let them have any grain, 
and to put them on an allowance of water for the day after 
their return. 

If our recommendations be attended to, there will be little 
injury from exhibition, and the same birds may be shown again 
and again without suffering. "We know of fowls which have 
won as many as fifty prizes ; and indeed first-class exhibition 
birds are almost always shown pretty frequently. They want 
care and attentive examination after each competition to see 
that they are not losing health ; if it appears so, whatever other 
engagements may have been made, let them have rest till com- 
pletely recovered ; otherwise, property worth scores of pounds 



98 BREEDING AND EXHIBITION OF PRIZE POULTRY. 

maybe sacrificed for "just one more cup," to the owner's lasting 
regret. 

We know not that we can usefully add any more upon this 
part of the subject. Something must be learnt by experience, 
for which no written directions can be substituted ; nevertheless, 
we are not without hope that these few pages may prove oi 
service in guiding the reader through the, perhaps, hitherto 
untried ordeal of the exhibition halL 






SECTION III. 



DIFFERENT BEEEDS OF FOWLS: 

THEIR CHARACTERISTIC POINTS, WITH A COMPARISON 
OP THEIR MERITS AND PRINCIPAL DEFECTS. 



DIFFEEENT BBEEDS OF FOWLS. 

CHAPTER XL 

COCHIN-CHINAS OR SHANGHAES. 

The Cochin breed, as now known, appears to have been im- 
ported into this country about the year 1847; those so-called 
-exhibited by Her Majesty in 1843 having been not only desti- 
tute of feathers on the shanks, but entirely different in form and 
general character. No other breed of poultry has ever attracted 
equal attention, or maintained such high prices for such a 
length of time; and the celebrated "poultry mania," which 
was" mainly caused by its introduction, will always be re- 
membered as one of the most remarkable phenomena of modern 
times. To account in some measure for this, it should be 
remembered that no similar fowls had ever been known in 
Europe; and when therefore Cochins were first exhibited, it 
was natural that their gigantic size, gentle disposition, pro- 
lificacy, and the ease with which they could be kept in con- 
finement, should rapidly make them favourites with the public. 
But the extent to which the passion for them would grow no 
one certainly could have foreseen. A hundred guineas hag 
repeatedly been paid for a single cock, and was not at all an 
uncommon price for a pen of really fine birds. Men became 
mad for Cochins, and spent small fortunes in procuring them ; 
and all England, from north to south, seemed given over to a 
universal "hen fever 9 " as it was humorously termed. Their 



102 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

advocates -would have it that the birds had no faults. They 
were to furnish eggs for breakfast, fowls for the table, and 
better morals than even Dr. "Watts' hymns for the children, 
who were from them " to learn kind and gentle manners," and 
thenceforward to live in peace. 

Such a state of things, of course, could not last, and the 
breed is now perhaps as unjustly depreciated by many as it was 
then exalted ; for Cochins have great and real merits, and on 
many accounts deserve the attention of the poultry-keeper. 
The mania, absurd as it was, did however good service by 
awakening a general interest in the whole subject of poultry, 
which has never since died out. 

As now brought to perfection, the breed presents the 
Tollowing characteristics : — 

The cock ought not to weigh less than 10 or 11 lbs., and a 
rery fine one will reach 13 ; the hens from 8 to 9 or 10 lbs. 
The larger the better, if form and general make be good. 

The breast in both sexes should be as broad and full as 
possible ; the general want of breast being the greatest defect 
in this breed. The neck can hardly be too short in either sex, 
so that it does not look clumsy ; and the back must be short 
from head to tail, and very broad. The legs to be short and 
set widely apart, and the general make to be as full, wide, and 
deep as possible. 

The shanks are profusely feathered down to the toe? and 
the thighs should be plentifully furnished with the fine downy 
feathers denominated " fluff." The quality of this " fluff," and 
of the feathering generally, is often a pretty good indication of 
the breed : if fine and downy, the birds are probably well bred; 
but if rank and coarse, they will not be worth attention as 
fancy birds. There is a tendency in the cocks to scanty fur- 
nishing on the thighs ; but the breeder should choose a bird 
with as much "fluff" as he can get; not, however, allowing 
vulture hocks, which often accompany the heaviest feathered 



COCHINS. 103 

birds, but which are now disqualified at all first-class shows. 
The colour of the shanks is yellow, a tinge of red being 
rather a recommendation than otherwise ; but green or white 
legs are to be avoided. 

The head should be neat and rather small ; the comb of 
moderate size, straight, erect, and evenly serrated : a notched 
or twisted comb is a great blemish. The ear-lobes must be 
pure red, no white being allowed. The eye ought in colour to 
approach that of the plumage, and should appear bright and 
sprightly. 

The tail of the hen is very small, and nearly covered by the 
feathers of the saddle, which are very plentiful, and form a 
softly rising cushion on the posterior part of the back ; the 
tail of the cock is larger than in the hen, but still small, and must 
not be very erect, or contain much quill ; the wings in both 
sexes very small, neatly and closely folded in, and the general 
carriage noble and majestic. 

The principal colours now bred are white, buff, and part- 
ridge. The white and buff are most popular. 

The white must be perfectly pure in every feather; and 
green legs, which are apt to occur in this colour, will disqualify 
any pen, however meritorious otherwise. 

In buff the colour may be any shade, but all the birds in a 
pen must correspond; black is admissible in the tail of both sexes, 
but the less there is the better. Black pencilling in the hackle 
is very objectionable, and a bird so marked will have no chance 
at a good show ; but a little marking, if well defined so as to 
form a slight necklace, with no trace of indistinctness or clouding, 
is not to be regarded as a fatal fault. The colour of the cock 
should correspond with the hens on the breast and the lower 
parts of the body ; but his hackles, wing coverts, back, and 
saddle hackles, are usually a rich gold colour. It should be 
observed that buff birds generally breed chickens lighter than 
themselves, and that most birds get rather lighter each moulting 



104 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

season ; the breeding stock should therefore be chosen one or 
two shades darker than the colour desired. 

In partridge hens the neck hackles are bright gold striped 
with black, the rest of the body light brown pencilled with a 
very dark shade of the same colour ; the cock's hackles and 
saddle bright red striped with black, back dark red, wings the 
same, crossed with a sharply defined bar of metallic green 
black ; breast and under part of the body black, not mottled. 

Black used also to be shown, but has nearly disappeared, 
from the almost impossibility of keeping the colour free from 
stain. The other colours are grouse and cinnamon. The 
latter is well described by its name ; grouse is merely very 
dark partridge. Cuckoo Cochins are never correct in form, 
and we believe are produced by crossing with the Gueldres. 

The merits of Cochins have already been hinted at. The 
chickens, though they feather slowly, are hardier than any 
other breed except Brahmas, and will thrive where others 
would perish ; they grow fast, and may be killed when twelve 
weeks old. The fowls will do well in very confined space, are 
very tame and easily domesticated, and seldom quarrel. They 
cannot fly, and a fence two feet high will effectually keep them 
within bounds. As sitters and mothers the hens are unsur- 
passed; though they are, unless cooped, apt to leave their 
chickens and lay again too soon for very early broods. Lastly, 
they are prolific layers, especially in winter, when eggs are most 
scarce. 

Their defects are equally marked. The flesh is inferior to 
that of other breeds, though tolerably good when eaten young ; 
there is, however, always a great absence of breast, which 
excludes the fowl from the market, and confines it to the 
family table. The leg, which contains most meat, is, however, 
providentially not so tough as in other breeds. The want of 
breast is best overcome by crossing with the Dorking, the 
result being a very heavy and well-proportioned table fowl, 



BEAHMAS. 105 

which lays well, and is easily reared. The hen, excellent layer 
though she is, has also an irresistible inclination to sit after 
every dozen or score of eggs ; and this is apt to be very trouble- 
some, except where a regular and constant succession of 
chickens is desired^ when it becomes a convenience, as broods 
can be hatched with the greatest regularity. Finally, this 
breed is peculiarly subject to a prejudicial fattening, which, if 
not guarded against by the avoidance of too much or too 
fattening food, will check laying, and even cause death. 

Cochins are subject to an affection called white comb, con- 
sisting of an eruption on the comb and wattles much re- 
sembling powdered chalk, and which, if not dealt with in time, 
extends all over the body, causing the feathers to fall off. The 
causes are want of cleanliness and of green food, chiefly the latter. 
This must, of course, be supplied, with an occasional dose of 
six grains of jalap to purge the bird ; and the comb anointed 
with an ointment composed of four parts cocoa-nut oil, two of 
powdered turmeric, and one of sulphur. 

On the whole, we consider this breed most useful to siipply 
the family demand for either chickens or eggs, or to provide 
sitters for numerous broods ; but it is little valued as a market 
fowl unless crossed with the Dorking or Crevecceur; neither 
will it be found profitable where eggs are the sole consideration, 
and the hens cannot be allowed to indulge their sitting 
propensities. 

CHAPTER XII. 

BEAH MA POOTR AS , 

It is not our province to enter at length into the long disputed 
and still unsettled question as to whether Brahmas originated 
in a cross with the Cochin, or are entitled to rank as a distinct 
variety. There is much to be said on both sides. In favour of 
the Cochin cross may be named the gigantic size, the feathered 



106 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

legs and general appearance, the colour of the eggs, and forma- 
tion of the skull ; whilst those who believe it distinct have 
strong arguments in the altogether unique and peculiar comb, 
the colour, the prominent breastbone, the very different dis- 
position and habits, and the opinion of, we believe, every 
eminent breeder. But one thing is certain : ever since this 
magnificent breed was introduced, it has steadily become more 
and more popular, and is now one of the most favourite 
varieties. To prosper thus, in the total absence of any poultry 
" mania," a breed must have real and substantial merits. Such 
Brahmas unquestionably have ; and we shall endeavour, there- 
fore, to give that full description of them which both their high 
rank as economic poultry, and their rapidly growing popularity, 
alike demand. 

Their most marked peculiarity is in the comb, which is 
totally different from that of any other variety. It resembles 
three combs pressed into one. In a first-class cock, the effect is 
such as would be produced were a little comb, about a quarter 
of an inch in height, laid close to each side of his own proper 
comb, twice as high, the centre one being thus higher than the 
others. Each division of the comb ought to be straight and 
even, irregular or twisted combs being serious faults in a show- 
pen. In the hens the comb is very small, but the triple 
character should be equally evident, and the formation is quite 
plain even when the chicks first break the shell. 

When first introduced, single-combed Brahmas were often 
shown, but are now scarcely ever seen, and rarely take prizes 
if there are any decently good pea- combed birds at the same 
show. 

There are two varieties of Brahmas exhibited, known as 
"Light," and "Dark" or " Pencilled " Brahmas; and on no 
account should they ever be crossed, the result being, according 
to Mr. Teebay, who was formerly the most successful and ex- 
tensive breeder of Brahmas in England, always unsatisfactory. 




FEATHERS. 
No. 1 is a Striped Feather. 
,. 2 a Lace* Feather 
,, 3, 4 are Spanyled Feathers, No. 3 being- from a Golden "Yorkshire Pheasant," 

and No. 4 from a Lancashire " Mooney " Hen. 
„ 5, 6. 7, 8 are PevcU.'ed Feathers. No. 5 being: plucked from a Hamburgh, and 
6, 7. 8 from a Dark or Pencilled brahma. 



BRAHMAS. 107 

The cross may be known, if the birds profess to be " dark," by 

the lighter, gayer appearance of the cock's breast, perhaps 
accompanied with large white splashes, and sandy coloured or 
brownish patches* about the pullets. Should the fowls be 
offered as "light" Brahmas, the pullets will have buff, 
yellowish, or sandy backs and wings, and the cocks most likely 
yellowish hackles. 

The following description of light Brahmas has been care- 
fully drawn up under the supervision of John Pares, Esq., of 
Postford, near Guildford, well known as the most eminent 
exhibitor of this variety for many years past : — 

"Light Brahmas are chiefly white in the colour of the 
plumage, but if the feathers be parted, the bottom colour will 
often be found of a bluish grey, showing an important dis- 
tinction between them and white Cochins, in which the feathers 
are always white down to the skin. The neck hackles should 
be distinctly striped with black down the centre of each feather. 
(See " Feathers," No. 1). That of the cock is, however, often 
lighter than in the case of the hen. The back should be quite 
white in both sexes. 

" The wings should appear white when folded, but the flight 
feathers are black. 

" The tail should be black in both sexes. In the cock it is 
well developed, and the coverts show splendid green reflections 
in the light. It should stand tolerably upright, and open well 
out laterally, like a fan. 

" The legs ought to be yellow, and well covered with white 
feathers, which may or may not be very slightly mottled with 
black : vulture hocks are a great defect. 

" The ear-lobes must be pure red, and every bird should, of 
course, have a perfect pea-comb, though good birds with a 
single comb have occasionally been shown with success." 

* This must not be confounded with the brownish tinge which nearly 
all " dark " Brahma hens acquire with age. 



108 DIFFERENT BREEDS OT FOWLS. 

The "dark" or "pencilled" Brahmas are similar to the 
above in comb, form, symmetry, &c, but as different in colour 
as can well be. By the kindness of R. W. Bo)de, Esq., of 
Bray, Ireland, who has for some years been known as the most 
eminent breeder of dark Brahmas in the United Kingdom, 
we are enabled to give the best description of this magnificent 
variety which has ever been published, most carefully drawn 
up by him for publication in these pages. 

" The head of a perfect Brahma cock should be surmounted 
by a good 'pea-comb,' which resembles three small combs running 
parallel the length of the head, the centre one slightly the 
highest, but all evenly serrated and straight, and the whole low 
and set firm on the head. Beak strong, well curved, and the 
colour of horn. Wattles full : ear-lobes perfectly red, well 
rounded, and falling below the wattles. 

" His neck should be rather short,* but well curved, with 
very full hackle, which is silvery white striped with black, and 
ought to flow well over the back and sides of the breast. At 
the head, the feathers should be white. Back very short, wide, 
and flat, rather rising into a nice, soft, small tail, carried rather 
upright. The back almost white. The saddle-feathers white, 
striped with black, as in the neck, and the longer they are 
the better. The soft rise from the saddle to the tail, and 
the side feathers of the tail, to be pure lustrous green black, 
except a few next the saddle, which may be slightly ticked 
with white : the tail feathers themselves pure black. 

"The breast should either be black, or black with each 
feather slightly and evenly tipped with white, but on no 
account splashes of white : it should be well carried forward, 
full, and broad. Wings small, and well tucked up under the 
saddle-feathers and thigh fluff. A good sharply-defined black 
bar across the wing is very important. 

" The fluff on the thighs and hinder parts ought to be black 

* The " Standard " says long. A great error. — Note by Author. 



BKAHMAS. 109 

or very dark grey. The lower part of the thighs should have 
plenty of nice soft feathers, almost black, rounding off about 
the joint and hiding it, but on no account running into 'vul- 
ture bocks,' which I consider a great eyesore. 

" The cock should carry himself upright and sprightly, and 
great width and depth are important points : a good bird 
should show great size, and ' look big.' 

" The hen's head should be small, with a perfect pea-comb, 
as in the cock, but smaller; and the beak also resembling his in 
the decided curve and colour. "Wattles quite small and neatly 
rounded, the red ears hanging below them. Neck short, and 
gradually enlarging from head to shoulders. Feathers about 
the head greyish, verging to white, and the hackle more striped 
with black than in the cock. 

" General make of the back, tail, thighs, wings, and breast, 
the same as in the cock, but of course in proportion. 

" The colour of the hen, except the neck and tail, is the same 
all over, each feather, even up to the throat on breast, having a 
dingy white ground, very much and closely pencilled with dark 
steel grey. The pencilling on the throat and breast is very im- 
portant, and is one of the first points looked at in a prize hen. 

" The hen's legs are short and thick, not quite so yellow as 
the cock's, and profusely feathered on the outside with feathers 
the same colour as the body. Her carriage is scarcely so up- 
right as that of the male bird. 

"With regard to the economic merits of Brahmas, the 
pullets lay when six months old, and usually lay from thirty to 
forty eggs before they seek to hatch; but I have repeatedly 
known pullets begin to lay in autumn, and never stop — let it 
be hail, rain, snow, or storm — for a single day till next spring. 
I have kept several breeds, such as Dorkings, Spanish, and 
Hamburghs; but never now give to my tenants any but 
Brahmas, as they say they can rear them so much more easily, 
and greatly prefer them. 



110 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

"As to their size, I cannot agree with those who think 
• breeding for colour' detracts necessarily from this point. I 
have had a cock weighing fifteen pounds, and hens twelve 
pounds, but these are very unusual weights. I have, however, 
two cockerels of this year (1866), only six and a half months 
old, one of which weighs ten and three quarter pounds, and 
the other eleven and a quarter pounds. The latter I weighed 
off a grass run. He is the largest for his age I ever bred, and 
I am confident he will next year weigh fifteen to sixteen 
pounds, or even more. I consider twelve to thirteen pounds 
for a cock and nine to ten pounds for a hen very good weights. 
Cockerels for exhibition, when six months old, ought to weigh 
from eight to eight and-a-half pounds, and pullets from six to 
seven pounds. 

" In breeding, it is necessary to be very sure the stock for 
generations back has not been crossed. I would then select 
the most perfect cock I could procure at any price, not less 
than twelve pounds weight, and mate him with either three 
pullets, or three hens a year old : if hens, to weigh at least nine 
pounds ; if pullets, eight pounds. Each bird to be entirely free 
from vulture-hocks or brown-red feathers. From such parent- 
age there will be little disappointment." 

Mr. F. Wragg, the manager of Mr. Boyle's yard, adds the 
following valuable practical remarks on the breeding of Dark 
Brahmas : — 

" I would on no account breed from birds with faulty 
combs, or the slightest twist in the tail, as such defects are 
most surely transmitted to a large proportion of their progeny. 
I would also reject a cock with ' splashes' of white on his 
breast, or a hen with very dingy brown in the feathers. 

"I select, if possible, a cock with perfectly black breast, 
thighs, and fluff, and other qualities well defined, two years 
old, and twelve pounds in weight. I would put him with 
three pullets, their first season, square-built, short-legged birds, 



BRAHMAS. Ill 

with broad-striped hackles, small and perfectly straight combs, 
and perfect in feathering. By this I mean that each feather 
should be most distinctly pencilled ; and I am most particular 
that on the breast especially every single feather right up to 
the throat should show four or five distinct half circles of black 
on the same ground colour as the rest of the body. Let the 
pullets be nine pounds weight. Breed from such birds, and 
nearly half the chickens will be fit for exhibition. 

" I wish to repeat, that for breeding I select a cock with all 
the underparts perfectly black. Tor exhibition, either the 
same colour or a little white mottling will do. A mottled 
cock looks best. I especially dislike to see the 'fluff' on the 
cock's thighs with white in it. Many of the chickens from such 
a parent would be very bad in colour, showing light ' streaky* 
feathers on the breast." 

Joseph Hinton, Esq., of Hinton, near Bath, one of the 
earliest breeders of Dark Brahmas, adds a few remarks which 
also deserve attention. 

" I have always striven," he says, " to keep Brahmas from 
being considered birds of colour only. The chief point in judging 
should be form, then size, then comb and colour. Body to be 
as broad and deep as possible : legs stout and wide apart, and 
cannot be too short, or too well feathered. The leg feathering 
ought to be abundant from the very hock. To see a nearly 
bare shank, even with a well-feathered foot, is very unsightly. 
I prefer a slight tendency to vulture-hock — that is, an 
abundance of soft curling feathers, projecting over the hock 
ind hiding the joint : a naked hock to me is an abomination 
Knock-knees also, which frequently occur in cockerels, are 
very objectionable. 

"As to colour, I prefer myself the clear grey, but it is 
unfortunately liable to lightness on the breast. For this reason 
Many breeders prefer a reddish-brown breast, but I myself 
should object to the reddish tinge. 



112 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

"It is also objectionable when the flight or primary quills 
in the cock's wing are not well tucked under the outside part 
of the wing, though I think they have laid too much stress on 
this point in the 'Standard of Excellence.'* The fault is rarely 
seen in the master cock of the yard, and I believe it therefore 
to occur from the efforts of the junior birds to save them- 
selves from punishment by the ' king of the walk.' In such 
struggles the wing is rapidly extended, and then often not 
fairly returned. In time this becomes a habit, and greatly 
mars the beauty of the bird." 

The latter fault alluded to is unfortunately too frequent. 
It can, however, be cured by carefully returning every feather 
to its proper place, and then tying twine round the end of 
the wing, to prevent the bird from opening it till the feathers 
are re-set into their position. About a month will ensure this ; 
and in the meantime the bird must of course sleep on straw 
as it cannot fly. 

Mr. Hinton's remarks on colour lead us to almost the 
only disputed point in this breed. Mr. Lacy, and other 
eminent breeders, avowedly -prefer a decided brown ground 
colour for the hens, for reasons which we will give in his own 
words : — 

"I have been a breeder of Dark Pencilled Brahmas," he 
says, " for fifteen years, ten of which I kept them in America, 
where they are the favourite fowls amongst farmers and 
planters. I began by purchasing the best. I could find, which 
were beautifully symmetrical in shape, and very large, the cock 
weighing thirteen pounds, and the hens nine pounds each. 
The colour of the hens was as follows : neck-hackle white, 
streaked with black ; saddle and wings a beautifully pencilled 

* We rather agree with the " Standard " in this matter. The first 
prize cock at Birmingham last year (1866) had the defect alluded to, and 
the award of the judges was condemned by every breeder at the show on 
that very ground, though the bird was very fair otherwise. 



BRAHMAS. 



113 



brown, the ground colour being the dark, with lighter mark- 
ings of a quarter-moon shape on each feather j breast a light 
salmon-coloured ground, with dark pencillings of the same 
quarter-moon shape, forming the most beautiful contrast of 
the two colours imaginable. The fluff had also the brown 
tinge. 

" This colour I have striven to produce and sustain in my 
strain of birds, breeding as they do much more true to colour 
than the grey variety. This last, I believe, has been introduced 
by some cross, as I have obtained grey pullets from other yards 
whose produce has been mixed, whilst they themselves have 
moulted to the brown shade and sometimes even to the red. 
Besides this, the great difficulty of producing light-breasted 
pullets cannot be got rid of in grey birds ; because, having, as 
1 believe, been crossed with a lighter colour, they will 'throw out' 
a majority of inferior birds. I do not, however, like a reddish- 
brown colour ; nor will any breeder be troubled with it, provided 
he uses proper discretion in the selection of his breeding stock." 

Others maintain that the brown colour referred to is a 
blemish, and we must ourselves side with this view. But, 
whether we are right or wrong in this, it is certain that the 
variation in opinion is most unfortunate ; for the difference of 
colour does not at all appear in the cocks, and hence there 
is always great danger, in purchasing a male bird, of injuring 
the pencilling which may be preferred. Each school, however, 
has a right to its own fancy, and we can only advise the 
utmost care in every introduction of fresh blood that may be 
made, that the tinge of the strain purchased corresponds with 
that already in the yard. It is to neglect of this precaution so 
many bad coloured, mottled, and " streaky " birds owe their 
origin.* 

* The above remarks refer to Brahmas as they are now exhibited and 
judged. But we must remark that the birds formerly shown so success- 
fully for several years together by Mr. R. Teebay, at Birmingham, and 



114 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

"Vulture hocks" have also occasioned considerable dis- 
cussion. The " Standard of Excellence " states that they are 
to be considered objectionable, but not a disqualification. 
Many breeders defend them, as being always more or less 
associated with heavy shank-feathering ; but all first-class 
judges at present seem agreed to absolutely disqualify any 
pen in which vulture-hocked birds appear, though soft curling 
feathers tucked in nicely round, and hiding the joint, are 
decidedly to be preferred. 

The precision of the pencilling is very impoi'tant, on the 
breast especially, but has hitherto been overlooked in every 
published description of Brahmas. Every feather should be 
distinctly pencilled across several times with black, as are the 
pencilled Hamburghs, but more minutely, on a dull white 
ground. On the breast the marking should be equally distinct 
and abundant, but it there follows the outline of the feather, 
and becomes a series of four or five "lacings," one within the 
other. By the kindness of an eminent exhibitor and breeder 
of this variety we are enabled to give engravings of actual 
feathers taken from very perfect prize birds, which will illus- 
trate this. (See plate of " Feathers," frontispiece.) No. 6 is a 
feather from the centre of a pullet's breast ; No. 7 is from the 
flat of the wing ; No. 8 from the coverts of the tail. Birds thus 
pencilled are of exquisite beauty, but second-rate specimens 

many other shows, were much darker than now, the dark pencilling being 
60 dense and black as to have quite a metallic green shade, which we have 
not now seen in hens for some time. The pullets are probably bred 
lighter through selecting cocks as free as possible from any red or bronze 
in the wing coverts, some amount of which appears essential to breeding 
dark birds. We simply note this change to a lighter shade as one too 
important to pass over; whether it be of itself any deterioration is, of 
course, a fair subject for difference of opinion. But many experienced 
breeders will also note changes in shape, and otheT characteristics — 
the result of various crosses, and which certainly are not improve- 
ments. 



BRAHMAS. 1 1 5 

often show a cloudy, indistinct mass of minute and confused 
markings, which are far inferior in appearance. 

At a show held at Oswestry last year (1866) a pen of 
Brahmas was shown in the " Light " Class, of which the two 
pullets were beautifully laced on the breast, with all the 
precision of a Silver Sebright Bantam. The effect was very 
pretty indeed, and we hope the variety may be perpetuated. 

Little more need be added. "With regard to the merits 
of Brahmas, they must certainly rank very high. In size the 
dark variety surpasses every other breed yet known, the 
heaviest cock ever recorded, so far as we are aware, having 
attained the enormous weight of eighteen pounds, and thirteen 
and fourteen being not uncommon at good shows ; though only 
good strains reach this weight, and miserable specimens are 
often seen which are inferior in size to Cochins. They also 
lay nearly every day, even in the depth of winter, and ii 
pure bred, scarcely ever sit till they have laid at least thirty 
or forty eggs. When they sit more frequently, the hen will 
usually be very brown, and is, we believe, crossed with the 
Shanghae. As winter layers, no breed equals them. We are 
writing at the end of November, and have a hen which has 
laid forty-five eggs in forty-eight days, whilst others are little 
inferior. Brahmas are likewise very hardy, and grow uncommonly 
fast, being therefore very early ready for table, in which par- 
ticular they are profitable fowls, having plenty of breast-meat. 
They bear confinement as well as Cochins, being, however, far 
more sprightly ; and scarcely ever, like them, get out of con- 
dition from over-feeding. 

The flesh, however, though better than that of Cochins, is 
much inferior, after six months, to that of the Dorking • and 
this is their only real fault ; but a cross with a Crevecceur or 
Dorking cock produces the most splendid table fowls possible, 
carrying almost incredible quantities of meat of excellent 
quality. Such a cross is well worth the attention of the farmer. 



116 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

On the whole, there is no more profitable fowl " all round " 
than the Brahma ; and a few hens at least should form part of 
the stock of every moderate yard. 



CHAPTER XIIL 

MALAYS. 

The Malay was the first introduced of the gigantic Asiatic 
breeds, and in stature exceeds that of any yet known. The 
cock weighs or should weigh from nine to eleven pounds, 
and when fully grown should stand at least two feet six inches 
high. But the general size of this breed has of late greatly 
deteriorated. 

In form and make Malays are as different from Cochins 
as can well be. They are exceedingly long in the neck and 
legs, and the carriage is so upright that the back forms a 
steep incline. The wings are carried high, and project very 
much at the shoulders. Towards the tail, on the contrary, 
the body becomes narrow — the conformation being thus exactly 
opposite to that of the Shanghae. The tail is small, and that 
of the cock droops. 

The plumage is very close, firm, and glossy, more so than 
that of any other breed, and giving to the bird a peculiar 
lustre when viewed in the light. The colours vary very 
much. We consider pure white the most beautiful of all ; 
but the most usual is that well known under the title of 
brown-breasted red game. The legs are yellow, but quite 
naked. 

The head and beak are long, the latter being rather hooked 
Comb low and flat, covered with small prominences like warts 



MALAYS. 1 1 7 

Wattles and deaf-ears very small. Eye usually yellow.* The 
whole face and great part of the throat are red and naked, and 
the whole expression " snaky " and cruel. This is not belied 
by the real character of the breed, which is most ferocious, even 
more so than Game fowls, though inferior to the latter in real 
courage. 

Malays are subject to an evil habit of eating each other's 
feathers, a propensity which often occurs in close confinement, 
and can only be cured by turning them on to a grass run of 
tolerable extent, and giving plenty of lettuce with an occasional 
purgative. 

The chickens are delicate, but the adult birds are hardy 
enough. They appear especially adapted to courts and alleys, 
and may not unirequently be seen in such localities in 
London. 

The principal merit of Malays is as table fowls. Skinny 
as they appear, the breast, wings, and merrythought together 
carry more meat than perhaps any other breed; and, when 
under a year old, of very good quality and flavour. They also 
make good crosses with several breeds. Mated with the 
Dorking they produce splendid fowls for the table, which also 
lay well ; and with the Spanish, though both parents are long- 
legged, the result is most usually a short-legged bird of peculiar 
beauty in the plumage, good for the table, and, if a hen, a 
remarkably good sitter and mother. They have also been 
extensively crossed with the English Game fowl, in order to 
increase the strength, size, ferocity, and hardness of feather. 

* The " Standard " says the eye should be fiery red, but this is most 
decidedly wrong. We should, of course, hesitate to state positively that 
a " red eye " has never been seen ; but we do say we never saw one, and 
doubt if any one else ever did, at all events lately. An eminent breeder 
of this variety informed us that the native fanciers in India preferred a 
pearly or white eye ; but that there also he knew on good authority the red 
eye was unknown, except in very rare instances. How the " Standard " 
came to give " red " eyes as a point, is a mystery. 



118 DIFFERENT BKEEDS OF FOWLS. 

The great drawback of Malays is their abominably quarrel- 
some disposition, which becomes worse the more they are con- 
fined. The hens are also inferior as layers to most other 
breeds ; and on these accounts the pure strain is not adapted to 
general use, though useful in giving weight and good " wings " 
to other varieties of fowL 



CHAPTER XIV. 



No variety of fowl has been so enthusiastically cultivated by 
amateurs as the Game, and in none perhaps is there so much 
room for legitimate difference of opinion. The varieties are 
legion, and to describe every one would be hopeless, except in a 
work specially devoted to the purpose ; we shall therefore only 
give descriptions of the leading breeds, as written for this work 
by Trevor Dickens, Esq.,* of London, one of the most eminent 
authorities in England on all points connected with the Game 
fowl. 

" The Game cock, as the undisputed king of all poultry, 
requires more careful judging in regard to shape, than any 
other bird. The Brown-reds have long been most perfect in 
outline ; but the following description will apply to a perfect 
bird of any breed. 

u The beak should be strong, curved, long, and sharp ; the 
comb single, small, and thin, low in front, erect, and evenly 
serrated ; it is usually red, but sometimes darkish red. Head 
long and sharp, with the face and throat lean and thin. Ear- 
lobes small and red, never whitish. Neck long, strong, and 

* Well known for his annotations on the breeds of Game in the Poultry 
Chronicle, under the signature of " Newmarket." 



GAME. 119 

well arched ; the hackle short, hard, close, firm, and broad in 
the feather. Back short, and very hard both in flesh and 
feather ; broad at shoulders, narrow at tail, and rounded at the 
sides. Breast broad and very hard, but not by any means too 
lean or too full— the last would be useless weight ; a good hard 
breast is most essential, as it is the most vulnerable part of the 
bird. The rump should be narrow, neat, and short, the saddle 
feathers close, hard, and short. Wings very strong, and of a just 
medium length, well rounded to the body, and carried neither 
high nor low, but so as to protect the thighs. Very long- 
winged birds are usually too long in the body, and short- winged 
birds too broad in the stern. Tail neither long nor short, but 
medium length, and carried erect to show good spirit, but not 
' squirrel-fashion ' over the back ; it should be well ' fanned,' 
or spreading, and the sickle feathers of a good round full curve, 
and standing clearly above the points of the quill tail-feathers.* 
Yery long-tailed birds are soft and long-bodied, and short- 
tailed birds are too short- winged, and often have broad rumps 
Thighs short f and very muscular, hard, and firm ; placed well 
wide apart, and well up to the shoulders, in order to give a fine 
fore-hand and make the bird stand firm on his legs; which latter 
should be sufficiently long, but not too much so, and placed wide 
apart as the thighs. Spurs low down, long, sharp, and rather 
thin; a little curved upwards, and not turning in too much. Feet 
flat, broad, spreading, and thin ; the claws and nails straight, 
long, and strong ; the back claw especially long and flat to the 
ground, to give a firm footing. The whole plumage should be 
very close, short, and hard, with glossy reflections, and the 

* Many breeders, especially in Yorkshire and London, prefer close or 
folded tails. But, as a rule, the well raised and spiead tail shows more 
spirit, if not clumsy, which is of course bad. 

f The "Standard of Excellence" says "rather short." This is 
decidedly not emphatic enough to denote the prcper proportions in a good 
cock.— Note by Author. 



120 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS 

quills or stems strong and elastic. Body in hand short and 
very hard, and the general carriage upright, quick, fiei*ce, and 
sharp. The back is best rather curved, provided it be flat 
crosswise, and not hump-backed or lop-sided. Weight for 
exhibition, 4| to /5| lbs. ; for the pit, not over 4| lbs. 

"The hen should correspond in form, but of course in 
proportion, hardness of flesh and feather, with shortness of body, 
being main points. Good hens generally become spiured, and 
such breed the hardest and best cocks. The proper weight of 
a hen is from 3 to 3^ lbs. 

"A short or clumsy head, short or soft neck, long body, 
narrow shoulders, long thighs, legs set close together, loose or 
soft plumage, and especially what is known as a ' duck foot,' 
are serious defects. It should be remembered that a Game fowl 
is always judged mainly in reference to its fighting qualities, 
and anything which interferes with them is a fault in the bird. 

" With respect to the varieties of Game, the sorts which 
take nearly all the prizes and cups are the Brown-red, Black- 
breasted Red, Silver Duck-wing Greys, and Piles, all which 
are cup-birds. 

" The Brown-red is essentially dark in blood, the eyes being 
a very dark brown, with the comb and face inclining to a dark 
gipsy purple, and the beak dark also. Breast of the cock a 
red-brown, shoulders sometimes passing into a rich crange-red 
colour. Wing-butts of a dusky or dark smoky brown, and 
general colour a dark red. Legs dark iron-brown or blackish 
bronze, with dark talons. Hackle with dark stripes, and thighs 
like the breast. The tail a dark greenish black, and the wing 
is often crossed with a glossy green bar. The general colour of 
the hen is very dark brown, grained or pencilled with lighter 
bi'own; her neck-hackle a dark golden copper- red, thickly 
striped with dark stripes ; and her comb and face darker than 
in the cock bird. Good hens are usually spurred, and their 
tail feathers show a slight curve. 



GAME 121 

" The Brown-red breeds are most esteemed in the Midland 
Counties, and at the principal shows take most cups. They 
are also the favourite breed with sportsmen, and are best in 
shape of all ; but like all the dark-combed varieties, are not 
such good layers as those with bright red combs. 

" Black-breasted Beds are essentially ra£-blooded birds, the 
plumage being generally a bright red, rather deeper on the body 
than in the hackle. Red eyes are absolutely essential to good 
birds, all others being inferior and infallibly denoting a cross. 
The cock's wings are bright red in the upper part, and rich red 
chestnut in the lower, with a steel blue bar across ; breast bluish 
black, with glossy reflections ; thighs the same ; tail greenish 
black, the feathers without much down at the roots. The comb 
and wattles of all Black-reds must be bright red, and the legs 
are usually willow colour in cup birds, though any leg will do 
if the birds are bright in colour, and have red eyes. The 
general colour of the hen is a rich red partridge-brown, with a 
red fawn-coloured breast, and reddish golden hackle with dark 
stripes ; the cock's hackle also is striped underneath, but clear 
above. Spurred hens are the best, but are not so frequent as 
in the preceding variety. 

" Silver Duck- wing Greys are purer in blood than the 
Yellow or Birchen Duck-wings, and are white-skinned when 
of pure breed. General colour of the cock, a silver grey ; 
hackle striped with black underneath, but clear above; back 
a clear silver grey ; breast either bluish black or clear mealy 
silver colour; wing crossed with a steel-blue bar, and the 
lower part of a creamy white ; tail greenish glossy black. Hen 
a silvery bluish grey, thickly frosted with silver ; breast a pale 
fawn-colour; neck-hackle silvery white, striped with black. 
The comb and face in both sexes are bright red. The legs may 
be either white, blue, or willow ; but of course the whole pen 
must match, and white leg to silver feathering is certainly the 
most correct match. Willow is, however, most common in 



122 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

the legs, but least pure in blood ; tlie white or blue-legged birds 
being the true-bred Silver Duck-wings. Eyes should be red in 
Willow and Blue-legged strains, and yellow in Yellow and 
White-legged strains in all the Duck- wing Game fowls. 

" The Yellow Duck-ioings are similar to the above except in 
the straw-colour or birchen tinge, and the copper-coloured 
saddle. They have yellow skins, and willow or yellow legs. 
In this variety the cock's breast is always black, the hen's a 
pale fawn colour, whilst the silver hen often has a clear mealy 
or silver breast instead of fawn. 

" Red eyes and willow legs are the only correct colours for 
prize Duck- wings. Bright red eyes and white legs for prize 
Piles. 

" The colour called Piles consists, in the cock, of a bright 
red piled on a white ground, the hackle being red and white 
striped; the back is chiefly red, and the breast mostly white, 
but often with red markings ; the tail should be white, but a 
few red feathers are not amiss ; black in the tail, as seen in the 
Worcestershire Piles, is, however, very objectionable. The hens 
are red-streaked or veined on a white ground, the breast redder 
than the cock, and the tail white, with a few red feathers 
occasionally. The reddest Piles are the best birds, and prize 
pens should be selected with bright red eyes and white legs. 

" Wliites should have bright red eyes, and white legs are 
essential. 

" Black Game fowls should have black eyes and bluish black 
legs — have won a few cups. 

"Dark Greys ought always to have black eyes and legs. 
The hens are very dark. 

" The original wild varieties of Game fowls are three : — (1.) 
The Black-breasted Red, with fawn-breasted partridge hens ; 
(2.) Brown-breasted Reds, with dark legs, and dark brown (not 
black) hens; and (3.) Red-breasted Ginger Reds with yellow legs, 
and the hens a light partridge colour. These three colours 



GAMK. 123 

were probably reclaimed at a very early period, and are still 
found in India as wild birds. Prom them all tbe other colours 
were originally bred; the varieties hatching dark chickens from 
the brown or dark reds, and all others from the other two 
sorts. These varieties can be merely named, and are most 
conveniently classed thus, according to the colour of their 
chickens when hatched : — 



Light Chickens. 

1. Whites. 

2. Piles. 

3. Blue Duns. 

4. Eed Duns. 



Steiped Chickens. 

5. Black-breasted Beds. 

6. Bed-breasted Ginger Beds. 

7. Duck-wings. 

8. Yellow Birchens. 

9. Mealy Greys. 



Dark Chickens. 

10. Brown Beds. 

11. Dark Greys. 

12. Dark Birchens. 

13. Black. 



" There are also four other varieties not generally known, 
called Red Furnaces, Cuckoos, Spangles, and Polecats, making 
at least seventeen well-defined sorts of Game fowls ; but besides 
these, there are at least twenty- seven named sub- varieties, or 
forty-four in all. To describe these in detail would be useless, 
and I shall only, therefore, add the following general remarks : — 

" The best criterion of blood in all Game fowls is the colour 
of the eyes, a point which has been, strange to say, totally over- 
looked in every work on poultry hitherto published. Black 
eyes show dark blood, and the hens of such strains lay white 
eggs. Red eyes denote red blood, and lay pinkish eggs. Yellow 
or daw eyes lay yellowish eggs. The.se last are inferior in 
spirit to the others. Brown and bay eyes result from crossing 
different breeds. 

" The only sorts of much use for fighting are those with 
black or red eyes, and the three varieties now usually employed 
are the Brown-breasted Reds, Dark Greys (which are strongest 
and hardiest of all), and Black-breasted Reds, with white legs 
and dark red eyes. The sorts which fight the quickest are, 
however, the Red Cheshire Piles, with bright red eyes and 
white legs, the Red-breasted Ginger Reds, with bright red eyea 



124 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

and yellow legs, and Whites, with white legs and bright red 
eyes ; but they have not quite so much strength and power of 
endurance. The Black-breasted Reds with willow legs are 
generally too slow and soft for the pit, as are the Blacks also. 

" The best layers are the Black-breasted Reds with willow 
egs, the hens being partridge colour ; and Red Cheshire Piles 
with white legs. The worst layers are the greys, Dark Greys 
and Dark Birchen s being worst of all. With the exception of 
these, Game fowls lay remarkably well, and in favourable 
circumstances will, I believe, surpass any breed. My willow- 
legged Black-breasted Red hens have averaged from 211 to 
284 eggs per annum. To reach this, however, they will 
require a good run, but if well attended to, are always good 
layers. It is worth remarking that yellow and blue-legged 
birds generally lay best in all poultry. 

" Game cock chickens should be shown undubbed ; but at 
cheir first Christmas they become 'stags,' and should then 
have their comb and wattles taken neatly and closely off with 
a very sharp pair of scissors. 

" Different varieties ought not to be crossed, but kept dis- 
tinct. In breeding either for stock or exhibition, nothing is so 
necessary as to have a good j)roportion of cocks. There should 
be one to every six hens at least ; and as in a large yard it is 
impossible, from their pugnacity, to keep more than one full- 
grown brood cock, there should be a good supply of fine young 
birds or 'stags' kept under him, and breeding with the hens, 
when all the eggs will be fecundated, and the chicks vigorous 
and healthy. This is the only way of breeding good stock from 
a large yard ; and it is of course preferable, when practicable, to 
keep each cock to his own limited family of hens. Pullets ought 
never to be bred from at all, and should be kept away from the 
cocks, using their eggs for household purposes. Good old birds 
will always breed strong chickens, and in this breed it scarcely 
matters how old they are so long as they remain strong and 



GAME. 125 

healthy. The breeding pens should be selected with great 
rare, not from the largest, but from the best-shaped and strongest 
birds. The more cock chicks in a brood the better, as it is 
always an evidence of strength and vigour in the strain ; and 
the pullets, though fewer, are finer and handsomer birds 
invariably. 

" Game eggs should not be hatched before the 21st of 
March, nor after the end of May. This breed is of warmer 
blood and stronger constitution than any other, and the chicks 
consequently hatch earlier, often breaking the shell at the end 
of the nineteenth day. As soon as they begin to fight, the 
cocks should be separated, and, if possible, put out to ' walk ' 
at a farm ; the pullets will rarely injure themselves, and their 
quarrels are only amusing." 

To the foregoing remarks of Mr. Dickens — the best descrip- 
tion of the breed ever yet published — we shall only add a few 
sentences on the general qualities of Game fowls. Their merits 
•are many and various. In elegance of shape, in hardihood, in 
bold and fearless spirit, what can equal them ] But besides 
these recommendations, they rank, as already stated, in the 
very first class as layers, provided only they have a good run ; 
whilst for delicacy of flavour their flesh is confessedly beyond 
any comparison. They should never be ^f?,tied, 'being too im- 
patient to bear the process ; but if eaien just as taken, off, their, > 
runs are equal to the pheasant. Tney also ^eat? }it'tle; ) ' aftd are 7 
therefore profitable fowls, whilst a»S mothers the hen is not to 
be equalled. She should not be giypn^fjao' many; eggs, , op > V 
account of her small size ; but she will hatsh ;h£r ;fuli 'qpniple'-s J ' 
ment, and when hatched will take good care of them,' defending 
them against any foe to the last gasp. If there be cats in the 
neighbourhood commend us to a good Game hen. 

There are, however, a few drawbacks. The size of both 
birds and eggs is small, which of itself makes them of little 
value as a market fowl, and in confinement the Game hen will 



126 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

by no means lay so well as Brahnias, Spanish, or Ham burghs. 
Their pugnacious disposition also disqualifies them for small 
runs, though not to the extent generally supposed. 

On the whole, we should pronounce this breed the very one 
for a country gentleman, who can give his fowls ample range ; 
and it will in such circumstances afford a constant and abundant 
supply of the most delicious eggs and meat to be obtained. 
Their good laying qualities may also recommend them to the 
farmer in some localities. But they cannot be considei'ed a 
profitable breed for domestic purposes in general, or to those 
whose object in poultry-keeping is to supply the market with 
table birds. 



CHAPTER XV. 

DORKINGS. 

This is a pre-eminently English breed of fowls, and is, as it 
always will be, a general favourite, especially with lady fanciers. 
The general predilection of the fair sex for Dorkings may be 
easily accounted for, not only by the great beauty of all the 

^/arie^ties^ "ou^eve^^moi'e perhaps by their unrivalled qualities as 
table-birds — a ppjat .iu which ladies may be easily supposed to 

<fe.el a peculiar interest. 

,. The , varieties of Dorkings usually recognised are the Grey 
or Coloured, Silver Grey, and White. We believe the White to 
be the original b^eari frpm which the coloured varieties were 

: pro<£ueed hy evoking with the old Sussex or some other large 
coloured fowl. That such was the case is almost proved by the 
fact that only a few years ago nothing was more uncertain than 
the appearance of the fifth toe in coloured chickens, even of the 
best strains. Such uncertainty in any important point i6 
always an indication of mixed blood ; and that it was so in this 
case is shown by the result of long and careful breeding, which 



DORKINGS. ] 27 

has now rendered the fifth toe permanent, and finally established 
the variety. 

in no breed is size, form, and weight so mnch regarded in 
judging the merits of a pen. The body should be deep and full, 
the breast being protuberant and plump, especially in the^ cock, 
whose breast, as viewed sideways, ought to form a right angle 
with the lower part of his body. Both back and breast must 
be broad, the latter showing no approach to hollowness, and the 
entire general make full and plump, but neat and compact. 
Hence a. good bird should weigh more than it appears to do. 
It is difficult to give a standard, but we consider that a cock 
which weighed less than 10 lbs., or a hen under 8^- lbs., would 
stand a poor chance at a first-class show ; and cocks have been 
shown weighing over 14 lbs. This refers to the coloured variety. 
White Dorkings have degenerated, and are somewhat less. 

The legs must be white, with perhaps a slight rosy tinge ; 
and it is imperative that each foot exhibits behind the well- 
known double toe, perfectly developed, but not running into 
monstrosities of any kind, as it' is rather prone to clo. An 
excessively large toe, or a triple toe, or the fifth toe being some 
distance above the ordinary one, or the cock's spurs turning 
outward instead of inward, would be glaring faults in a show 
pen. 

The comb may, in coloured birds, be either single or double, 
but all in one pen must match. The single comb of a cock 
should be large and perfectly erect. White Dorkings should 
have double or rose combs, broad in front at the beak, and 
ending in a raised point behind, with no hollow in the centre. 

In the Grey variety the colour is not material, so long as 
the two hens in the pen match. The cock's breast may be 
either black or mottled* with white ; the hackle, back, and 
saddle are usually white, more or less striped with black ; and 
the wing we like best to see nearly white, with a well-defined 
black bar across. 



IL'O DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

In the Silver Grey Dorking, however, colour is imperative 
This variety, there is not the slightest doubt, was at first a 
chance off-shoot from the preceding, but has been perpetuated 
by careful breeding. Coloured birds will always occasionally 
throw silver-grey chickens, and such are sometimes exhibited 
as "bred" Silver Greys; but it is needless to add that disappoint- 
ment is sure to ensue, unless the strain has been kept pure for 
many generations. The Silver Grey colour is as follows : — 
Cock's breast a pure and perfect black ; tail and larger coverts 
also black, with metallic reflections; head, hackle, back, and 
saddle feathers, pure silvery white; and the wing bow also 
white, showing up well a sharply -marked and brilliant bar of 
black across the middle. A single white feather in the tail 
would be fatal. Hen's breast salmon-red, shading into grey at 
the thighs ; head and neck silvery white striped with black, 
back " silver grey," the white of the quill showing as a white 
streak down the centre of each feather ; wings also grey, with 
no shade of red ; tail dark grey, passing into black in the inside. 
The general appearance of both birds should be extremely clean 
and aristocratic. 

The white birds should be what their name implies — a clear, 
pure, and perfect white. There is generally in the cock more 
or less tendency to straw or cream colour on the back and 
wings, and we would by no means disqualify a really first-class 
bird in all other points on account of it ; but it is decidedly a 
fault. 

White Dorkings are usually much smaller than the coloured, 
which we believe to have hindered the popularity of this truly 
exquisite variety. It has often occurred to us that this defect 
might be easily remedied by crossing with the large Grey 
Dorking, and then breeding back ; and on a recent visit to 
Linton Park we saw the experiment fairly commenced, with 
every prospect of success. A good white cock had been mated 
with some light-coloured hens, and out of the progeny there 



DORKINGS. 129 

appeared six or seven pure white chickens, of very great merit. 
Two cockerels attracted our special attention ; they were not 
six months old when we saw them, but they were fully up to 
the Grey Dorking standard of size, and we have not the slightest 
doubt, when full grown, would weigh at least 12 lbs. each, 
whilst in colour they were quite equal to their parent. We 
commend this method of increasing the size to all "Whit© 
Dorking fanciers. We have also known a cross tried with the 
White Cochin, but never saw a bird so produced that was fit to 
look at. 

We cannot let the stibject cf size pass without alluding to 
the great obligations Dorking breeders are under to Mr. John 
Douglas. By careful selection of stock, and close attention, 
with probably the help of a cross, he succeeded in raising the 
standard of this breed at least 2 lbs. higher than had ever been 
known before; and the fowls he bred have never yet been 
surpassed. 

It should be remembered that Dorkings degenerate more 
than any variety from interbreeding j and, if fresh blood be not 
introduced, rapidly decrease in size. They also suffer much 
from frequent exhibition, not bearing confinement well. We 
are, however, inclined to think that in some degree this 
arises from the vicious practice of over-feeding the birds, to 
increase their weight, before showing ; and we cannot help 
expressing our decided opinion that judges should always dis- 
qualify such an over- fed pen, however meritorious otherwise. 
No less is due to the public, who not unfiequently purchase 
prize pens to breed from ; for a pen in such a condition ot 
unhealthy fatness is not only useless at the time, but can rarely 
be got into really healthy condition again. We have seen a 
really magnificent pen of Dorkings, whose lives we would not 
have given three weeks' purchase for ; and which, even if they 
did survive, were irretrievably ruined for breeding, and ought 
therefore to have been condemned by the judges. 

J 



130 DIFFERENT BREEDS CF FOWLS 

Dorkings are peculiarly subject to " bumble foot " — a chronic 
gathering, or abscess, probably first produced by the heavy birds 
descending on the ground from too high perches, but now it 
appears more or less hereditary in the breed ; at least we have 
seen it repeatedly in fowls never allowed to roost high enough 
to cause it in this way, and which had the unrestricted run of 
a spacious park. "We believe there is no remedy but to let the 
abscess grow to maturity, and then remove it surgically. The 
operation will be successful about once out of three times. 

The great merit of Dorkings has already been hinted at, and 
consists in their unrivalled excellence as table-fowls. In this 
respect we never expect to see them surpassed. The meat is 
not only abundant and of good quality, surpassing any other 
English breed except game, but is produced in greatest quantity 
in the choicest parts — breast, merrythought, and wings. Add 
to this, that no breed is so easily got into good condition for 
the table, and enough has been said to justify the popularity 
of this beautiful English fowl. It shotild also be noted that 
the hen is a most exemplary sitter and mother; and, remaining 
longer with the chickens than most other varieties, is peculiarly 
suitable for hatching early broods. 

The Dorking is not, however, a good layer, except when 
very young ; and in winter is even decidedly bad in this respect. 
The chickens are also of very delicate constitution when bred in 
confinement, and a few weeks of cold wet weather will sometimes 
carry off nearly a whole brood ; they ought not, therefore, to be 
hatched before May. But it is only right to say that when 
allowed unlimited range the breed appears hardy, and as easy 
to rear as any other, if not hatched too soon. At Linton Park, 
the chickens are all left with the hens at night, under coops 
entirely open in the front ; and grow up in perfect health, whilst 
the old birds frequently roost in the trees. It is in confinement 
or on wet soils that they suffer, and the only way of keeping 
them successfully in such circumstances is to pay the strictest 



SPANISH. 131 

attention to cleanliness and drainage, and to give them some 
fresh turf every day, in addition to other vegetable food. With 
these precautions, prize Dorkings have been reared in gravelled 
yards not containing more than 300 square feet. 

In fine, the breed is most valuable for the market, or as a 
general fowl, on a wide and well-drained range. But we 
cannot recommend it to supply the table with eggs, or as a 
profitable fowl to be kept in a limited space. 

Our illustration is drawn from a magnificent pair of Grey 
Dorkings kindly lent for the purpose by Lady Holmesdale. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Unlike almost all other varieties, there really appears some 
reason for believing that this breed of fowls did originate, or at 
all events come to us, from Spain. It has, however, been long 
known and valued by amateurs in this country, and perhaps 
no other is so generally popular. This is no doubt partly 
owing to their truly aristocratic and haughty appearance, but 
no less also to their unrivalled large white eggs, which exceed 
in weight those of any other breed, except the lately introduced 
La Fleche, and are always sought after for the breakfast- 
table. 

Of all the varieties of this breed now known, tho white- 
faced Black Spanish is by far the most important, and the only 
one for which a special class is reserved at most poultry exhibi- 
tions ; all others having to be shown in the class " for any other 
variety." Of this truly beautiful breed the following descrip- 
tion has been given us, and subsequently most carefully revised 
by Mr. H. Lane of Bristol, well known for his magnificent 

j 2 



132 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS.. 

strain, and who has probably taken more first prizes with his 
birds than any other breeder within a similar period : — 

"The general carriage of Spanish fowls is of great import- 
ance. The cock especially should carry himself very stately 
and upright, the breast well projecting, and the tail standing 
well up, but not carried forward as in some birds. The sickle- 
feathers should be perfect and fully developed, and the whole 
plumage a dense jet black, with glossy reflections in the light. 
The hen should be equally dense in colour, but is much less 
glossy. Any white or speckled feathers, which now and then 
occur, are fatal faults. 

" The legs should be blue or dark lead-colour ; any approach 
to white is decidedly bad.* The legs in both sexes are long, 
but the fowl should be nevertheless plump and heavy. I con- 
sider a good cock for exhibition ought not to weigh under 
seven pounds : the hen a pound less ; and I have had several 
excellent cocks which weighed eight pounds each. All Spa nish 
fowls in really good condition are heavier than they appear 
to be. 

"The comb must be very large in both sexes, and of a 
bright vermilion colour. That of the hen should fall com- 
pletely over on one side, but the cock's comb must be perfectly 
upright, the slightest approach to falling over being fatal to 
him at a good show. The indentations also must be regular 
and even, and the whole comb, though very large, quite free 
from any appearance of coarseness. Any sign of a twist in 
front is a great fault. 

"The most important point, however, is the white face. 
This should extend as high as possible over the eye, and be as 
wide and deep as possible. At the top, it should be nearly 
arched in shape, approaching the bottom of the comb as nearly 

* It is singular that the old fanciers imperatively required these 
identical bluish while legs in prize birds ; and legs of too dark a tint were 
often put in poultices to make them light enough ! 



SPANISH. 133 

as possible, and reaching sideways to the ear-lobes and wattles, 
meeting also under the throat. In texture the face ought to 
be as fine and smooth as possible. The ears are large and pen- 
dulous, and should be as white as the face. Any fowl with 
red sj>ecks in the face has not the slightest chance. 

" "With regard to Spanish fowls as layers, the pullets will 
generally lay when six months old, and I seldom get less than 
five or six eggs a week from each. My house is warmed,* 
which has, of course, some influence on a breed so delicate ; but 
with this artificial aid, I find my pullets lay throughout the 
winter, as above. 

" The great thing with the chickens is to keep them out of 
the damp. They scarcely ever get roup; but if not kept dry 
die away rapidly, no one knows how. They ought not, there- 
fore, as a rule, to be hatched very early in the year, and one 
cock ought not to be allowed more than three hens, as the eggs 
are less fertile than those of most other breeds." 

The following additional remarks on this fowl are compiled 
from information furnished us by various amateurs. 

Spanish are judged most of all by the quantity and quality 
of the "face." If this be rough and "warty" so as to hinder 
the sight of the bird, or have any decided red mark, especially 
above the eye, or be much disfigured in the same region by 
feathers, the bird has little chance. Such feathers are often 
pulled out, but if thus "trimmed" a pen ought always to be 
disqualified, though it is almost universally done by exhibitors. 

Like all other black fowls, coloured or even white 
feathers will occasionally happen. Such birds are hopeless to 
exhibit, and decidedly bad to breed from; 

That the comb of the cock should be absolutely erect is 

most important, and many breeders, to secure this, place light 

wire frames, or " cages," over them, as soon as sufficiently 

developed to hold the wire in place : the combs are thus grown 

* For plan and description of Mr. Lane's establishment, see Chap. VII. 



134 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

straight, like cucumbers ! But there will rarely be need for 
this, if the breeding-stock be of good constitution. The hens 
selected for breeding should therefore be carefully chosen. with 
good thick combs, which spring up with some arch before they 
fall over the side of the head. Hens with combs that fall 
dead over will rarely breed strong-combed cockerels. The 
comb of both sexes should, however, get thin at the edge, or it 
will appear heavy and clumsy. 

Mr. Lane has alluded to the delicacy of the chickens. 
During feathering, which is in this breed a very slow process, 
they require special care and most generous diet, or few will 
be reared. When full grown, however, they are a tolerably 
hardy fowl altogether, but always suffer much in moulting, 
and during very cold or damp weather. 

In no breed is purity of race of so much importance as in this; 
and in introducing a fresh cock it is especially needful to see 
that both his appearance and his pedigree are quite satisfactory. 
One of the most eminent breeders in England informed us a 
few months since that all his chickens of the season had been 
ruined by the introduction of a fresh cock, whose face when 
purchased appeared perfectly white, but who had imported 
more or less red into every chicken hatched from him. There 
oan be no doubt, however, that too close interbreeding has 
greatly injured the Spanish fowl, and that both size, constitu- 
tion, and prolificacy have been sacrificed to the white face 
alone. Such a result is to be regretted ; and as it is now 
becoming generally acknowledged and deplored, we may hope 
that it is not yet too late to get back some of the size and 
hardihood of the Spanish fowl as formerly known.* 

* It was a subject of general remark that at the last Birmingham 
show (December, 18G6) the Spanish fowls were larger and finer on the 
whole than had been seen for a considerable time ; and at the Bristol show 
a month after there was confessedly the most splendid collection of this 
breed that had ever been seen, as was emphatically remarked by the 
judges. We hope the improvement may not be merely temporary. 



SPANISH. 135 

The other principal varieties of Spanish are — the Minorca, or 
Red-faced Black ; the White ; the Blue, or Andalusian; and the 
Ancona, Grey, or Mottled breed. 

Minorca. — This breed resembles in comb, ears, shape, and 
colour of plumage, the white-faced breed, but considerably sur- 
passes it in size; and, on an average, we consider the comb 
more largely developed; the legs are also shorter. A good 
cock ought to weigh from eight to nine pounds. It is the best 
layer of all the Spanish breeds, and the chickens are tolerably 
hardy. It is a great favourite in the West of England, and 
deserves to be more widely cultivated, as it far surpasses the 
preceding in everything except the white face. Prizes are now 
and then offered to Minorcas, and, on one or "two occasions,, we 
have known them allowed to take honours in the general 
" Black Spanish " class ; but usually they are quite overlooked 
by poultry judges. 

We think it would be well worth while to try the effect of 
throwing a cross of this breed into its more aristocratic rela- 
tive. The hen should be selected for the cross, of course — not 
only to avoid the risk of contaminating a whole strain by the 
experiment, but because it is chiefly size and constitution 
that are wanted, while the red face must be as speedily as 
possible " bred out " again. Let a fine Minorca hen, therefore, 
be put with a good white-faced cock, and her eggs care- 
fully kept apart. When hatched, let one or two of the 
pullets only which show most size and constitution be again 
reserved, and mated with another good cock of a different 
family, and so on. We have never seen the experiment tried, 
but believe a few years of this system would breed good white- 
faced birds, far superior in size and stamina to any of the 
existing strains. 

White. — This breed should have a red face and white ears, 
as in the Minorca, which it also resembles in size, shape, and 
general qualities. The plumage, however, is snow-white, with- 



136 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

out a single stain. All black fowls occasionally throw white 
chickens, and no doubt the white breed was thus accidentally 
originated. 

Straw-colour in the cock, or stains of red in the ears, are 
the most common faults in this variety. 

Andalusian. — This must be considered a truly useful and 
handsome fowl, being, according to general testimony, the 
hardiest of all the Spanish breeds. The plumage is slaty blue, 
in many specimens slightly laced with a dai'ker shade, but the 
neck hackles and tail feathers are glossy black, and harmonise 
very richly with the rest. Ears white and face red, as in the 
Minorca. Unlike other Spanish chickens, these are very hardy, 
and feather rapidly and well, which gives them a great advan- 
tage. This breed appears each year to increase the number of 
its admirers, and may very probably attain in time to a distinct 
class of its own. 

Anconas. — Mottled all over, or what is called "cuckoo" 
colour, and look rather pretty. In all other points they 
resemble Minorcas, being, however, of a smaller size. 

The so-called " Columbian" fowl is evidently a cross between 
the Spanish cock and Malay hen, but would be well worth 
establishing as a distinct breed. The black plumage is of extra- 
ordinary lustre, whilst the bird is of great size and hardihood, 
excellent for the table, and the hen a most prolific layer, the 
eggs being also probably the very largest known. Even as a 
cross, such fowls are well worth keeping ; and there can be no 
doubt that a well-established bi'eed combining these qualities 
would soon become a favourite. 

Spanish fowls of any kind are very little subject to roup, 
at least in any marked or specific form ; but suffer exceedingly 
from cold or wet. Severe frost especially often attacks the 
comb and wattles, and if the bird in this state be not attended 
to, it will be disfigured for life. The proper treatment is to 
rub the affected parts with snow or cold water, exactly as in 



SPANISH. 137 

the human subject, but not on any account to take the frost- 
bitten bird into a warm room until recovered. The fowls are 
also very long over their moult, and need special care and 
nourishing food at this season. 

They are also liable to a peculiar disease called " black rot." 
The symptoms are a blackening of the comb, swelling of the 
legs and feet, and general wasting of the system. It can only 
be cured in the earlier stages by frequent doses of castor-oil, to 
keep up purging ; at the same time giving freely strong ale or 
other stimulants, with warm and nourishing food. 

Another singular disease occasionally occurring in this fowl 
has never, we believe, had any name given to it ; but the symp- 
tom is the occurrence, in rapid succession, of bladders under 
the skin, which contain however nothing but air. We believe 
the cause to be debility : at least, nourishing and stimulating 
food, pricking each vesicle as it rises, will generally effect a 
cure. 

The merit of Spanish fowls is their production of large 
white eggs, which are laid in great abundance in moderate 
weather. They are also of very good quality as table-birds. 
But they cannot be called good winter-layers, unless with the 
aid of artificial heat ; and their delicacy of constitution is a 
great drawback to their otherwise many merits. "We believe, 
however, that fanciers have this point much in their own 
hands; and, even in spite of such a serious fault, wherever 
large eggs are valued or desired, the Spanish will always be 
regarded as a most useful and profitable fowl — the Minorca 
being the best regarded from this point. 

As a " fancy" fowl we believe the " white-faced" variety to 
be the most profitable of any, as good stock are always saleable 
at high prices, and oat of a dozen good eggs there are almost 
invariably a larger proportion of chickens fit for exhibition than 
can be reckoned upon in any other breed we are acquainted 
with. 



138 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

For two or three weeks before exhibition, Spanish fowls 
should be allowed as much meal as they like to eat. The day 
before sending off, the legs should be carefully washed, and also 
the comb, wattles, and face; drying the latter carefully with a 
Boft towel. The face will probably get rather red under this 
treatment, and if so, the bird must be put for the night in a 
warm room, kept perfectly dark, which will make all right 
again. The hamper should also be carefully lined, that the 
birds may not take cold, and the top should be high enough to 
avoid any danger of injury to the combs. 

To send fowls of this breed to winter shows in a basket not 
lined, is in severe weather almost certain death. 



CHAPTER XVIL 

HAMBURGHS. 

Under the name of Hamburghs are now collected several 
varieties of fowls, presenting the general characteristics of 
rather small size, brilliant rose combs, ending in a spike behind, 
projecting upwards, blue legs, and beautifully pencilled or 
spangled plumage. None of the Hamburghs ever show any 
disposition to sit unless in a state of great freedom, but lay 
nearly every day all through the year, except during the 
moulting season, whence they used to be called " Dutch every- 
day layers." 

It is not our province to enter into the question of the 
origin of the different breeds of Hamburghs. There can be no 
doubt that the usual classification into simply spangled and 
pencilled is not sufficient to mark the distinct varieties that 
exist ; but our duty is to take the classes as we find them, and 
describe them as they are now recognised at the leading shows ; 
paying special attention to the plumage, as exactuess of 



HAMBURGHS. 139 

marking is of more importance in this than in almost any 
other breed. In so doing we are glad to acknowledge the able 
assistance of Mr. Henry Beldon, of Goitstock, Bingley, York- 
shire, who at present breeds these beautiful varieties more 
extensively, and takes more prizes, than any one else in the 
kingdom. 

Silver- Pencilled. — The size of this exquisite breed is 
small, but the shape of both cock and hen peculiarly graceful 
and sprightly. Carriage of the cock very conceited, the tail 
being borne high, and carried in a graceful arch. The comb 
in this, as in all the other varieties, to be rather square in 
front, and well peaked behind, full of spikes, and free from 
hollow in the centre. Ear-lobe pure white, free from red 
edging. Legs small and blue. 

The head, hackle, back, saddle, breast, and thighs of the 
cock should be white as driven snow. Tail black, glossed with 
green, the sickle and side feathers having a narrow white edging 
the whole length, the more even and sharply denned the 
better. Wings principally white, but the lower wing-coverts 
marked with black, showing a narrow indistinct bar across the 
wing. The secondary quills have also a glossy black spot on 
the end of each feather, which gives the wing a black edging. 
The most frequent defect in the cock is a reddish-brown patch 
on the wing, which is fatal. We believe this fault to occur 
nearly always in old birds, and remember seeing a cock which 
had taken thirty-seven prizes moult out thus at last, and so en<f 
his career as an exhibition bird. The bar on the wings » 
difficult to get, and is not imperative ; any cock with a nicely 
edged tail, and quite free from coloured or black markings on 
any part of the body, ought to stand a fair chance in exhibition, 
if form and comb be good. As a bird to breed from, however, 
he would be a failure ; as it is impossible to get well-marked 
pullets except from a cock with a good proportion of black 
under-colour 



140 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

The most frequent fault in the hen is a spotted hacklo 
instead of a pure white. The rest of the body should have 
each feather distinctly marked, or "pencilled" across with 
bars of black, free from cloudiness, or, as it is called, "mossing." 
(See "Feathers," No. 5.) The tail feathers should be pencilled 
the same as the body ; but to get the quill feathers of the 
wings so is rare, and a hen thus marked is unusually valuable. 
General form very neat, and appearance remarkably sprightly. 

Golden- Pencilled. — The form of this breed is the same as 
the preceding variety, and the black markings are generally 
similar, only grounded upon a rich golden bay colour instead of 
a pure white. The cock's tail should be black, the sickles 
and side feathers edged with bronze ; but tails bronzed all over 
are often seen. The bar on the wing is not imperative, or 
even usual, in this breed. The colour of the cock is always 
much darker than that of the hens, generally approaching a 
rich chestnut. 

In all pencilled Hamburghs the value chiefly depends on the 
exactness and definition of the markings, which ought to be a 
dense black, and the ground colour between quite clear. The 
silver is slightly the largest breed. 

Golden-Spangled. — Whilst the markings on pencilled 
Hamburghs consist of parallel bars across the feathers, the 
varieties we are now to consider vary fundamentally in having 
only one black mark at the end of each feather, forming the 
spangle. This black mai'king varies in shape, and though only 
one variety is recognised in each colour at poultry exhibitions, 
it is quite certain that both in gold and silver there are two 
distinct breeds, distinguished by the shape of the spangle. The 
best known of the two varieties, and the most often seen, is the 
breed long known in Lancashire under the name of " mooDeys," 
from the spangles being round, or moon-shaped. 

The ground colour of the Golden " Mooney " Hamburghs ie 
a rich golden bay, each of the feathers having a large circle, or 



HAMBURGHS. 141 

moon, of rich black, having a glossy green reflection. (See 
"Feathers," No. 4.) The hackle should be streaked with 
greenish black in the middle of the feathers, and edged with 
gold Tail quite black, even in the hens. All the spangles 
should be large and regular in shape. 

In the cock the upper part of the breast is usually glossy 
black, but lower down, at least, it ought to be rich bay, and 
spangled bike the hens. The cock of this breed is rather small 
in proportion to the hens. 

The second variety is that known chiefly in Yorkshire as 
"pheasant fowls," and differs greatly in the plumage. Instead 
of the spangles being round, as in the "mooneys," they are 
crescent- shaped (See " Feathers," No. 3), approaching the 
character of lacing ; the marking is also seldom so sharp and 
definite, being often a little " mossed." In the cock the 
crescent spangles on the breast run so much up the sides of the 
feathers as really to become almost a lacing. 

The latter variety is the largest, hardiest, and the best 
layer ; but is seldom seen at shows pure-bred. The usual plan 
appears to be, to show mooney hens along with cocks bred 
between mooney and pheasant fowls. The, reason of this is 
that the mooney cock has scarcely ever a pure ear-lobe, and 
generally has a dark breast ; and by crossing the two breeds 
together, cocks are produced with spangled breasts and white 
ear-lobes, and altogether much larger and showier birds than 
the pure mooneys. It will be seen, therefore, that to breed 
birds for exhibition, two distinct lots must be penned up ; 
viz., pure mooneys for the pullets, and mooneys with Yorkshire 
Pheasants for the cockerels ; of course choosing birds for this 
purpose with the best developed ear-lobes and most evenly 
spangled breasts. The cross thus obtained may be also used 
to breed cocks from, but not to breed pullets ; although of late 
even hens have been shown with a taint of the Yorkshire 
Pheasant in them, as evidenced by their white ear-lobes and 



142 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

larger size. These birds show well under cover, but when seen 
in full daylight are not to be compared to the true-bred 
mooney hen in richness of plumage. ' 

We have been careful to explain this at length, because 
ignorance of it has disgusted many with this truly beautiful 
breed. Many a " first-prize pen " has been purchased, and the 
breed afterwards given up in disgust, on account of the cross 
in the cock not being known or understood, and the pen there- 
fore bred from as in other breeds. We cannot but consider 
such cross-breeding a great pity ; but it is encouraged by the 
judges, who look mainly for a white deaf-ear ; and all we can 
do therefore is to make the plan of breeding plain to the 
uninitiated. 

Silver-Spangled. — In this class two similar varieties exist. 
The Lancashire silver " mooney," with large round spangles, 
resembles the golden, substituting a silvery white ground 
colour. The outside tail feathers in the hen, however, differ 
from the golden mooney, being silver white, with only black 
moons at the tips. The moons on wing covert feathers in 
both sexes should form two black bars across the wings ; the 
more regular these bars the more valuable the bird. 

The silver pheasant-fowl of Yorkshire has smaller spangles, 
and not so round, without, however, running into the crescent 
form of the golden pheasant-fowl. The tail is white in both 
cock and hen, ending in black spangles. The cock's breast 
has also far less spangling than the mooney breed. 

With regard to breeding Silver-spangled Hamburghs for 
exhibition, the case is still more complicated than in the golden 
variety, as even the silver-mooney contains two distinct sub- 
varieties. The purest strain breeds cocks that are hen-feathered, 
or marked and feathered exactly like the hen, with the excep- 
tion that the top feathers of the tail are rather longer. This 
variety formerly took all the prizes, being larger and much 
handsomer in marking ; but the judges at Birmingham dis- 



HAMBTJRGHS. 143 

carded them some years ago, and since then they have nearly 
died out, being only kept up by a few of the most eminent 
breeders who know their real merits. There is another and 
far more common variety 'of mooney, which breeds cocks with 
dark tails and reddish ear-lobes, and is probably originally a 
cross from the higher-bred variety just mentioned with the 
Yorkshire Pheasant. Be this as it may, cocks, for exhibition 
are usually bred by mating this latter variety again with the 
Yorkshire Pheasant, the cross producing a cockerel which 
meets the requirements of the judges, having a full yet clear 
tail, and pure white ear-lobes ; it, however, lacks that depth of 
colour for which the true-bred mooney is conspicuous. Good 
pullets can also be bred from the Lancashire dark and full- 
tailed cock when mated with his own hens, but not equal in 
either colour or size to those bred from the hen-feathered 
birds ; which latter, however, are of little use for breeding 
cockerels. 

We cannot avoid remarking on the folly of these ingenious, 
and yet clumsy proceedings, so opposed to real scientific breed- 
ing. The proper plan would have been to adopt as a basis the 
most perfect variety — the hen-tailed mooney — and by careful 
selection of breeding stock, to banish that feature when found 
to be objectionable, which might have been done in a few 
years, all other merits of marking being retained. Instead of 
this, we find a system which infallibly disgusts every one 
ignorant of its mysteries with the whole breed ; and whether 
judges or exhibitors are most to blame for it, it would be hard 
to decide. 

There is also a hen-feathered Golden Hambnrgh; and in 
both colours these birds are very hardy and long-lived. But it 
is to be noted that Silver-spangled Hamburghs, both Lanca- 
shire and Yorkshire, are much better layers than the Golden 
birds. 

It should be noted that many spangled Hamburgh chickens 



144 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

are at first pencilled in the feathers, the true spangling only 
appearing with the first moult. 

Black Hamburghs. — There is little doubt that this breed 
has been produced by crossing with the Spanish ; the white 
face often half-apparent, the larger size (cocks often weighing 
7 lbs.), and the darker legs, all betray its origin. It is, how- 
ever, perfectly well established as a distinct variety, and good 
strains breed quite true to colour and other points. 

In the black variety the comb of the cock is considerably 
larger than in the others we have noted, the wattles also being 
large and round. Plumage black, spangled, when seen in the 
light, with dark glossy green. Hens similar in plumage ; but 
in general make rather square and heavy, with short legs, very 
different from the other varieties. 

On the whole, we can most strongly recommend Hamburghs 
as a profitable breed. Each hen will lay from 200 to 250 eggs 
in a year, which certainly exceeds the production of any other 
fowl ; and if they are generally small, the consumption of food 
is comparatively even more so. Though naturally loving a 
wide range, there is no real difficulty in keeping them in con- 
finement, if cleanliness be attended to. Last year we hatched 
a brood of eleven, two of which were killed, and all the re- 
mainder we have now. Till three months old they had the 
run of the garden, since which they have been chiefly confined 
in a shed ; but are all in perfect health, and well repay their 
food. Indeed, more profitable fowls are none ; whilst their 
varieties of barring, pencilling, or spangling, with their elegant 
shape, form the very perfection of bird beauty, and never fail 
to excite admiration. 

The great difficulty in keeping them arises from their 
erratic propensities. Small and light, they fly like birds, and 
even a ten-feet fence will not retain them in a small run. 
They may, it is true, be kept in a shed ; but, if so, the number 
must be very limited. Where six Brahmas would be kept, 



POLANDS. 1 45 

four Hamburghs are quite enough, and they must be kept dry 
and scrupulously clean. The pencilled birds are also, most 
oertainly, delicate, being very liable to roup if exposed to cold 
or wet; they should not, therefore, be hatched before May. 
The spangled are hardy, and lay larger eggs than the pencilled ; 
but the latter lay rather the most in number. For profit, 
however, we should recommend the black Hamburgh, on 
account of the large size of the eggs ; and this variety is 
certainly the most extraordinary egg-producer of all breeds 
known. 

Hamburghs are too small to figure much on the table. 
They carry, however, from the smallness of the bones, rather 
more meat than might be expected, and what there is of it is of 
first-rate quality and flavour. 



CHAPTER XYIII. 



Under the title of Polands, or Polish fowls, should be collected 
all varieties which are distinguished by a well-developed crest, 
or tuft of feathers on the top of the head. This crest invariably 
proceeds from a remarkable swelling or projection at the top of 
the skull, which contams a large portion of the brain ; and it is 
worthy of remark, that as the comparative size of this protube- 
rance invariably corresponds with that of the crest springing 
from it, the best crested chickens can be selected even when 
first hatched. It is also remarkable that the feathers in the 
crest of the cock resemble those of his neck-hackles, being long 
and pointed, whilst those of the hen are shorter and round, 
and this difference forms the first means of distinguishing the 
sexes. 

The comb of all Polish fowls is likewise peculiar, being of 

K 



146 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWL8. 



what is called the two-horned character. This formation is 
most plainly seen in the Crevecceurs, where the two horns are 
very conspicuous. In the breeds more specifically known as 
Polish, the comb should be almost invisible, but what there is 
of it will always show the bifurcated formation. 

Under the title of Polish fowls, might perhaps be included 
the Crevecceurs, Houdans, and Gueldres, if not La Fleche; but we 
shall, for convenience of reference, describe these crested fowls 
in a separate chapter on. the French breeds, and confine our- 
selves here to the other tufted varieties, including the recently 
introduced Sultans. 

The following descriptions have been corrected to the latest 
date by Mr. Henry Beldon, of Bingley, Yorkshire, well known 
as a prize-taker with these breeds. 

"White-crested Black. — This is the most generally known 
of all the varieties. The carriage of the cock, as in all Polands, 
is graceful and bold, with the neck thrown rather back, towards 
the tail ; body short, round, and plump ; legs rather short, 
and in colour either black or leaden blue. There should be no 
comb, but full wattles of a bright red ; ear-lobes a pure white. 
Plumage black all over the body, with bright reflections on the 
hackle, saddle, and tail. Crest large, regular, and full, even in 
the centre, and each feather in a perfect bird we suppose of a 
pure white ; but there are always a few black feathers in front, 
and no bird is therefore to be disqualified on that account, 
though the fewer the better. Weight from five to six 
pounds. 

Hen very compact and plump in form. Plumage a deep 
rich black. Crest almost globular in shape, and in colour like 
the cock's. We never yet saw a bird in whose crest there were 
not a few black feathers in front, and we doubt if such were 
ever bred. Where they do not appear, we believe the creste 
have always been " trimmed," and in no class does this practice 
so frequently call for the condemnation of the poultry judge. 







H. 



POLANDS. 147 

Weight of the hen four to five pounds. This variety is 
peculiarly delicate and subject to roup. 

Black-crested White. — There is indisputable evidence 
that there once existed a breed of Black-crested White Polands; 
but, unfortunately, it is equally plain that the strain has been 
totally lost. The last seen appears to have been found by Mr. 
Brent, in 1854, at St. Onier, and if the breed still exists at all, 
we believe it will be found either in France or Ireland. Its 
disappearance is the more to be regretted, as it seems to have 
been not only the most ornamental, but the largest and most 
valuable of all the Polish varieties. The hen described by Mr. 
Brent dwarfed even some Malay hens in the same yard. 

We believe the colour of this variety may be recovered by 
breeding from such birds of the kind next mentioned as show 
any tendency to black in the crest, and carefully selecting the 
darkest crested chickens. Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier did commence 
such an experiment, and succeeded perfectly in producing white 
chickens with black crests, though they always became more or 
less marked with white in subsequent moults. The attempt 
was therefore discontinued, though a few years' longer perse- 
verance would undoubtedly have established the strain true to 
colour, in accordance with the principles laid down in Chapter 
VIII. But the great comparative size, which all accounts agree 
belonged to the old breed, we are afraid is for ever lost. 

White-crested White. — This breed, and those which 
follow, differ from the white-crested black Polands not only in 
greater hardihood, but in having a well-developed beard under 
the chin, in lieu of wattles. They are large fine birds, and the 
crest is finer and more perfect than in most other colours. They 
are also among the best in point of laying. The plumage needs 
no description, being pure white throughout. 

Silver Spangled — In this variety the ground colour of the 
plumage is a silver white, with well-defined moon-shaped black 
spangles. (See " Feathers," No. 4). In the cock, the hackle 

k 2 



148 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

feathers are white, edged and tipped with black ; in the hen 
each hackle feather should have a spangle on the end. Tail 
feathers clear white, with a large spangle on the ends. The 
spangling on the wing coverts should be large and regular in 
both sexes, so as to form two well-defined bars across each 
wing. The proper spangling of the breast is very important. 
Many cocks are nearly black on the upper part, which is a 
great fault. 

The crest feathers are black at the base and tip, with white 
between. Crest to be full and regular, showing no vacancy in 
the centre. A few white feathers usually appear after the 
second moult in the very best bred hens, and in old birds are 
not a disqualification, though certainly a fault. 

Ear-lobes small and white ; wattles none, being replaced by 
a black or spangled beard. 

The size of this breed is very good, weight of the cock six 
to seven and-a-half pounds ; hens four to five and-a-half pounds. 

Besides the moon-shaped spangling, birds are shown with 
laced feathers, that is, with an edging of black on the outline 
of the feathers, but thicker at the end. This marking when 
perfect is of exquisite beauty, and appears at present to secure 
most of the prizes. The hens have clear white tails, laced and 
spangled with black ; but the cocks have generally dark tails, 
which takes much from their beauty. A few have, however, 
been shown with clear tails like the hens, but appear to find 
no favour with the judges, who seem to prefer the darker- 
looking birds, inferior in beauty as they nevertheless certainly 
are. From such laced birds were derived the celebrated 
Sebright Bantams. 

Golden- Spangled. — This breed is similar to the preceding 
in the black markings, substituting a rich golden ground for 
the silver white. The tail of the cock, however, is dark bay, 
the ..ibkles being tipped with black, and the side feathers edged 
evenly with the same colour. Like the preceding variety, 



PO LANDS. 1 49 

golden-spangled Polands are also very often shown with the 
markings in the form of a lacing, and such are just now most 
popular. 

Buff or Chamois Polands are a recent introduction* 
This breed resembles the golden-spangled in the colour of the 
ground, but the spangles present the anomaly of being white 
instead of black. They were first produced, there can be no 
doubt, by crossing the golden-spangled with white birds, and 
even yet they do not appear to have been thoroughly estab- 
lished or bred exactly true to colour. The appearance is very 
pretty, and the variety will no doubt become a favourite. 

Blue, grey, and cuckoo or speckled Polands are also 
occasionally shown, but are evidently either accidental occur- 
rences, or the result of cross-breeding, and cannot be recom- 
mended even to the fancier. 

All the bearded Polands are rather liable to grow up 
"hump-backed," or "lob-sided" in the body. Of course either 
defect is a fatal disqualification. 

Sultans. — This breed was introduced by the well-known 
Miss E. Watts, of Hampstead, and is a very ornamental bird, 
differing greatly in appearance from any of the varieties 
hitherto named. In size they are rather small, the cocks 
weighing only from four to five pounds. They make most 
exquisite pets, being very tame, but at the same time brisk and 
lively ; and their quaint little ways never fail to afford much 
amusement. They appear well adapted to confinement. 

The plumage is pure white, crest included, in which they 
therefore resemble the white Polands. They differ, however, 
very greatly in appearance. Their legs are very short, and 
feathered to the toes ; the thighs being also abundantly fur- 
nished, and vulture-hocked. They are likewise amply muffed 
and whiskered round the throat, and the tail of the cock is 
remarkably full and flowing. The crest differs from that of 
most other Polands, being more erect, and not hiding the eyea. 



150 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

The comb consists of two small spikes in front of the crest. 
The legs are also white instead of blue, and the foot has a 
fifth toe, like the Dorking fowl. The adult birds appear 
hardy. 

There is a breed known as Ptarmigans, which is evidently 
a degenerate descendant from some former importation of 
Sultans. 

Some special precautions are necessary in rearing Polish 
chickens. The prominence in the skull, which supports the 
crest, is never completely covered with bone, and is peculiarly 
sensitive to injury. On this account Cochins, or other large 
heavy hens, should never be employed as mothers. A game hen 
will be the best. The young also fledge early and rapidly, and 
usually suffer severely in the process ; they therefore require an 
imple allowance of the most stimulating food, such as hemp- 
seed, meat, and bread steeped in ale ; and, above all, they must 
be kept dry. 

Polands have certainly solid merits. They improve in 
appearance, at least up to the third year. In a favourable 
locality they are most prolific layers, never wanting to sit, and 
the flesh is remarkably good. They appear also peculiarly 
susceptible of attachment to their feeders. And lastly, they 
suffer remarkably little in appearance or condition from 
exhibition. 

Their great fault is a peculiar tendency to cold and roup — 
the white-crested black variety being the most delicate of all. 
The dense crest becomes during a shower satui-ated with water, 
and the fowls are thus attacked in the most vital part. No 
birds are so affected by bad weather. In exposed or damp 
situations they will die off like rotting sheep, and it is hope- 
less to expect any return. They can only be kept success- 
fully in warm, genial situations, on well -drained ground, with 
a chalk or sand sub-soil, and with ample shelter to which 
they can resort during showers. In such circumstances they 



CKEVECCEUBS. 151 

will do well, and repay the owners by an ample supply of 
eggs. 

Mr. Hewitt cautions Polish breeders against attempting to 
seize their birds suddenly. The crest so obscures their vision 
that they are taken by surprise, and frequently so terrified as 
to die in the hand. They should, therefore, always be first 
spoken to, or otherwise made aware of their owner's approach. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

FRENCH BREEDS. 

Since the fancy for poultry breeding spread in gome degree to 
our Gallic neighbours, several remarkable breeds of fowls have 
been introduced into England from France, which it will be 
convenient to describe in one chapter. They all deserve 
especially the careful attention of the mercantile poultry 
breeder, possessing as they do in a v^ry high degree the im- 
portant points of great weight and excellent quality of flesh, 
with a remarkably small proportion of bone3 and offal. These 
characteristics our neighbours have assiduously cultivated with 
most marked success, and we cannot avoid remarking yet 
again on the results which might have been produced in thia 
country had more attention been paid to them here, instead 
of laying almost exclusive stress upon colour and other fancy 
points. 

Most of the French breeds have more or less crest, which 
naturally places this chapter next to that on the Polish fowls. 
It is remarkable also that they all agree in being non-sitters, 
or at least incubate but very rarely. 

Crevecceurs. — This breed has been the longest known in 
England, and is the one most preferred in France for the 



152 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 




CREVECCEURS. 153 

quantity and quality of its flesh. The full-grown cock will not 
unfrequently weigh 10 pounds, but 7 J to 8 pounds is a good 
average. 

In form, the Creve' is very full and compact, and the legs 
are exceedingly short, especially in the hens, which appear 
almost as if they were creeping about on the ground. In 
accordance with this conformation, their motions are very 
quiet and deliberate, and they appear the most contented 
in confinement of any fowls we know. They do not sit, 
or very rarely, and are tolerable layers of very lai'ge white 

eggs- 

The comb is in the form of two well-developed horns, 
surmounted by a large black crest, and giving the bird a 
decidedly "diabolical" appearance. Wattles full, and, like the 
comb, a very dark red. The throat is also furnished with 
ample whiskers and beard. 

Plumage mostly black, but in the largest and finest birds 
not unfrequently mixed with gold or straw on the hackle and 
saddle. Which is to be preferred will depend upon circum- 
stances. Judges at exhibitions always prefer a pure black all 
over ; and if the object be to obtain prizes, such birds must 
of course be selected both for breeding and show purposes ; 
at the same time we should fail in our duty were we not 
distinctly to record our opinion that such a choice is most 
unfortunate, as the golden-plumaged birds are generally by far 
the largest and finest specimens. It should be remembered 
that the French have mainly brought these breeds to perfection 
by seeking first the useful qualities, and if our " feather-breed- 
ing " propensities be applied to them, we much fear that uni- 
formity will only be attained at the price of the deterioration 
of the strain in size and real value. 

The merits of the Cr&ve consist in its edible qualities, early 
maturity, the facility with which it can be both kept and 
reared in confinement, and the fine large size of its eggs. The 



154 DIFFERENT BREEDS OP FOWLS. 

hen is, however, only a moderate layer, and the eggs are often 
sterile, while the breed is rather delicate in this country, being 
subject to roup, gapes, arjd throat diseases. This delicacy of 
constitution appears to improve somewhat as the fowls get 
acclimatised, and we should, therefore, recommend good English- 
bred rather than imported birds. Altogether, we do not recom- 
mend the Creve as a good breed for general domestic pui'poses ; 
but it is certainly a splendid fowl for either table or market, 
and as such, especially on a large scale, in favourable localities, 
well repay the breeder. 

Our engraving was drawn in France from remarkably good 
and perfect specimens. 

La Fleche. — In appearance this breed resembles the 
Spanish, from which we believe it to have been at least 
partly derived. It exceeds that breed, however 1 , in size, the 
cock often weighing from eight to even ten pounds. Both 
sexes have a large, long body, standing on long and powerful 
legs, and always weighing more than it appears, on account 
of the dense and close-fitting plumage. The legs are slate- 
colour, turning with age to a leaden grey. The plumage 
resembles the Spanish, being a dense black with green reflec- 
tions. 

The look of the head is peculiar, the comb being not only 
two-horned, much like the Crevecceur, near the top of the 
head, but also appearing in the form of two little studs or 
points just in front of the nostrils. The head used to be sur- 
mounted by a rudimentary black crest, but English fanciers 
very soon bred this out, and the presence of crest is now con. 
sidered a disqualification at all good shows. The wattles are 
very long and pendulous, of a brilliant red colour, like the 
comb. The ear-lobes are dead white, like the Spanish, and 
exceedingly developed, meeting under the neck in good speci- 
mens. In fact, no breed could show stronger traces of its 
Spanish origia. 



LA FLfcCHE. 



155 



The appearance of the La Fleche fowl is very bold and in- 
telligent, and its habits active and lively ; at the same time it 
does not appear to thrive well in our climate. The hen is an 
excellent layer of very large white eggs, and does not sit. The 




la Fleche Cockerel. 



flesh is excellent, and the fine white transparent skin makes a 
very favourable appearance on the table, which is only marred 
by the dark legs. The breed is, however, very delicate, and 
does not lay well in winter, except in" favourable circumstances. 
Altogether, it is decidedly less suitable than the preceding for 



156 



DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 



domestic purposes, but still most valuable as a table fowl. A3 
an egg producer, it is as nearly as possible similar to the 
Spanish, not only in the size and number of the eggs, but the 
seasons and circumstances in which they may be expected. In. 




La Fieolio Pullet. 



juiciness and flavour the flesh approaches nearer to that of the 
Gams Fowl than any other breed we know. 

The cocks suffer much from leg weakness and disease of the 
knee-joint, and do not bear the fatigue and excitement of 
exhibition so well as most fowls. They require, therefore, 
special care, and the moderate use of stimulants. 

Houdans. — This fowl in many respects resembles the Dork- 



H0UDANS. 157 

ing, and Dorking blood has evidently assisted in its formation. 
We believe that a cross between the latter and a white Poland 
would not be very wide of the -mark. Houdans have the size 
deep compact body, short legs, and fifth toe of the Dorking, 




<&\5S.^V^V^!>*-- 



Houdan Cock. 



which in form they closely resemble, but with much less offal 
and smaller bones. The plumage varies considerably, but is 
most usually white, with large black spangles, the size of a 
shilling in many specimens. We should certainly like to see 
the spangling reduced in size of the markings, but sincerely 
hope this will not be sought at the expense of weight, in which 



158 DIFFERED BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

the Houdan is pre-eminent among the French breeds. We feel 
certain that by breeding for this more useful quality the fowl 
may be reared to a greater weight than even the coloured 
Dorking ; we have ourselves seen hens which weighed ten 
pounds, but such a size is not common, and very small speci- 







Houdan Hen. 

mens are more often seen at exhibitions than of the other 
French varieties. 

The head should be surmounted by a good Polish crest of 
black and white feathers. The wattles are pendent and well 
developed, and the comb is the most peculiar in formation of all 
the French breeds, resembling, as has been said, the two leaves 
of a book opened, with a long strawberry in the centre ; in the 
hen it should be very small and rudimentary. 

Imported Houdans frequently want the fifth toe, evidently 



BREDA. OR GUELDRES. 



159 




160 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

derived from the Dorking ; and it might at this early period be 
easily bred out. We cannot but express our regret this should 
not be done, regarding it, as we do, not only as an eyesore, but 
in our opinion more or less connected with the diseased foot of 
the Dorking fowl. The aim of fanciers, however, seems to 
be to ensure the additional toe by careful selection, and in a few 
years it will be established as an indelible feature. 

"With respect to the merits of Houdans, we have no hesita- 
tion in pronouncing them one of the most valuable breeds ever 
introduced into this country ; and in this judgment we are fully 
corroborated by Mr. F. H. Schroder, of the National Poultry 
Company, who expressed to us his strong opinion that in 
general usefulness Houdans surpassed all the French varieties, 
to which the company devote their principal attention. We 
have in this breed the size, form, and quality of the Dorking, 
with earlier maturity. The hen is a most prolific layer of good- 
sized eggs, which will almost invariably be found fertile — a point 
the Dorking is very deficient in, as all prize breeders know to 
their cost. The chickens feather very rapidly and early, but 
are nevertheless exceedingly hardy, perhaps more so than any 
except Cochins or Brahmas, and are therefore easily reared with 
little loss. They are emphatically the fowl for a farmer, and 
will yield an ample profit on good feeding, both in eggs and flesh. 

Almost their only drawback is their refusal to incubate. 
Many, however, will consider this an advantage. The bird will 
bear a moderate amount of confinement well, but in this respect 
is not quite equal to the Crevecceur. 

Breda or Gueldres. — This fowl is of exceedingly well- 
proportioned shape, with a wide, full, prominent breast 
The head carries a small top-knot, and surmounts a rather 
short, thick neck. The comb is very peculiar, being hollowed 
or depressed instead of projecting, which gives to the head a 
most singular expression. Cheeks and ear-lobes red ; wattles 
ditto, and in the cock very long and pendulous. 



LA BRESSE. 161 

The thighs are well furnished and vulture-hocked, and the 
shanks of the legs feathered to the toes, though not very heavily. 
The plumage varies, black, white, and cuckoo or mottled, being 
most seen. The cuckoo-coloured are known exclusively by 
the name of " Gueldres," and the black bear chiefly the name 
of Bredas ; but it is much to be desired that one name should 
be given to the whole class, with simply a prefix to denote the 
colour. "We prefer ourselves the black variety, the plumage of 
which is beautifully deep and rich in tone, with a bronze lustre ; 
but Mr. F. Schroder, who thinks highly of the breed, prefers 
the cuckoo or Gueldres fowl. This is quite matter of fancy, all 
the colours being alike in economic qualities. 

The flesh is excellent and tolerably plentiful, very large 
cocks weighing as much as eight or nine pounds. They are 
very good layers, and the eggs are large ; like the other French 
breeds, the hens do not sit. The chickens are hardy, and the 
breed is decidedly useful and well adapted to the English climate. 

Our illustration is drawn from a very good pair of the Black 
or Breda variety. 

La Bresse. — This fowl is hardy and large, but we cannot, 
at present at least, consider it as a distinct or established breed. 
The birds are all colours without distinction, presenting exactly 
the appearance of very large and fine barn-door or cross-bred 
fowls ; and we believe that it is, in fact, no breed, but a mix- 
ture of fine specimens of different races. A few years' breeding 
in England will decide this, and may possibly produce some 
uniformity in colqur. At present we can only say that the 
shape and size should be as nearly as possible that of the Grey 
Dorking, while the colour may be anything. Of course, in an 
exhibition pen the two hens must match. Mr. Schroder com* 
mended the La Bresse fowl to us as pre-eminent for its early 
maturity and fattening qualities, and we should consider it a 
valuable addition to our farm-yard stock. By the fancier it 
will be little prized. 



162 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

It will be seen that the French breeds are eminently table 
fowls ; and it is worthy of remark that by breeding for edible 
qualities, without paying over-much attention to feather or other 
fancy points, our neighbours have succeeded in producing birds 
far superior to any English breed — we will not say in quality, so 
long as Game and Dorking are left us — but in smallness of bone 
and offal. We should hope that the lesson may not be lost 
upon our breeders, and that poultry committees may be led to 
afford somewhat more encouragement than they have hitherto 
done to the cultivation of size and general proportion, with a 
view to the table, as distinguished from mere artificial or fancy 
qualities. 

Of all the French breeds we should ourselves give the first 
rank to the Houdan, on account of its great hardihood and 
plentiful production of eggs. Next in value we would place 
Gueldres and La Fleche. The Creves, beautifully heavy birds 
as they are, we consider too delicate in . our climate ever to 
become a general favourite. Others, however, would place them 
first ; and as we have endeavoured to state fairly all points 
bearing on the subject, we must leave the reader to form his 
own judgment and make his own comparison. One thing is 
certain, that all these fowls are composite — are artificially 
created ; and it would be well if a little more enterprising 
experiment in this direction were made by English breeders. 



CHAPTER XX. 

BANTAMS. 



There is not the slightest reason for supposing that any of the 
diminutive fowls known as Bantams are descended from an 
original wild stock. They are in many cases the exact 
counterparts of ordinary domestic breeds, carefully dwarfed 



BANTAMS. 163 

and perfected by the art of man ; and even where this is not 
so, the process by which they were produced is occasionally 
on record. They are, in fact, more than any other class, 
"artificial fowls," and their attractiveness consists rather in 
their beauty than in any economic value. We can only 
enumerate and give descriptions of the principal varieties, as 
drawn up under the able supervision of the Rev. G. S. Cruwys, 
of Tiverton, long celebrated for his success as an exhibitor and 
breeder of these beautiful birds. 

Sebeights. — Cock not to exceed twenty, and hen sixteen 
ounces. For exhibition still less is preferable, but not for 
breeding. Carriage of the cock, the most conceited it is pos- 
sible to conceive of; head thrown back till it touches the 
nearly upright tail ; wings drooping halfway down the legs ; 
motions restless and lively, always strutting about as if seeking 
for antagonists. The bird is, in fact, "game to the back- 
bone," and will attack the largest fowl with the utmost 
impudence. 

Plumage close and compact, and every feather laced with 
black all round the edge. The shoulder and tail coverts are 
the parts most likely to be faulty in this ; but in first-class birds 
every single feather must be properly edged right up to the 
head. This part usually appears darker from the smaller 
size of the feathers; but the nearer the head is to the 
rest of the body in colour the better. The only exceptions 
allowable in the lacing are on the primary quills or flight- 
feathers of the wings, which should have a clear ground, and 
be only tipped with black. The tail feathers ought to be laced, 
and in the hen must be so ; but in the cock this is rather rare. 
In his case a clear ground colour throughout, nicely tipped 
with black, may be allowed to pass instead. 

The cock must be perfectly hen-feathered throughout, his 
tail not only square and straight, without sickles, but the neck 
and saddle-hackles resembling those of the hen. Mr. Hewitt. 



1G4 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

however, a most eminent authority on this breed, remarks 
that while this is imperative for exhibition, he has always 
found such cocks nearly or quite sterile, probably in con- 
sequence of the long interbreeding necessary to maintain the 
strain in perfection. He recommends, therefore, that a cock 
for breeding should show a moderate approach to sickle-feather- 
ing, when the eggs will become productive. 

The comb should be a perfect rose, with a neat spike 
behind, pointing rather upward, free from any depression, and 
rather livid in colour. Face round the eye rather dark. Eye 
itself a sparkling dark red. The ear is supposed to be white, 
but Mr. Hewitt remarks that he never found it so without a 
great falling off in the lacing of the plumage, and a bluish 
tinge is as near an approach to it as can be safely obtained. 
Bill slate-coloured ; legs blue and clean. 

There are two varieties. In the gold-laced the ground 
colour is a rich golden yellow. In the silver-laced, a pure 
white. In both cases the ground must be perfectly clear and 
unsullied, varied only by the clear black line round each 
feather, which constitutes the lacing. (See plate of "Feathers," 
No. 2.) Lately the Silver Sebrights have shown a decided 
golden tinge, which greatly mars their beauty, and which may 
have arisen from an opinion frequently expressed by a well- 
known breeder, that the clearest birds were bred from a cross 
between the gold and silver-laced. If this be the case, the 
sooner such an opinion is exploded the better, as it has already 
half ruined the beautiful silver breed. 

With respect to the breeding of Sebrights, Mr. Hewitt 
makes two further remarks. First, that although at three 
years old the birds become more or less grizzled with white, 
and therefore greatly deteriorated for exhibition, the stock then 
prod\iced from them is frequently far superior ; and secondly, 
strange as the fact may seem, that better marked birds are 
usually obtained by mating a heavily-laced cock with a hen 



BANTAMS. 165 

scarcely sufficiently marked, than when both parents are 
perfect in their plumage. 

Game. — In Game Bantams the plumage is precisely similar 
to the correspo?iding varieties of the Game fowl, from which 
they were undoubtedly obtained by long interbreeding, and 
continually selecting the smallest specimens, occasionally, 
perhaps, crossing with a Bantam to expedite the process. The 
carriage and form must also be similar, and the drooping wing, 
so common in other Bantams, would infallibly disqualify a pen 
of Game. 

In courage and "bottom" Game Bantams are not behind 
their larger relatives. In constitution they are the hardiest of 
all Bantam breeds. 

In weight the cock must not exceed one and a half pounds, 
or the hen twenty ounces. 

Black. — This is at present one of the most popular Bantam 
classes. The plumage is a uniform black, with no trace of rust, 
or any other colour, and, in the cock, with a bright lustre like 
that of the Spanish fowl. Tail of the cock full and well 
arched ; legs short, dark blue or black in colour, and perfectly 
clean. Comb a bright red rose. Ear-lobes white; face red, 
in the latter points resembling the Minorca fowl. Cock not 
to exceed twenty, hen eighteen ounces. 

Black feather-legged Bantams have now and then been 
shown, but never yet established a footing. Fashion changes, 
however; and novelties being now much sought after, we are 
inclined to believe that a good feather-legged black-breed would 
speedily become a favourite. 

White. — This breed should be as small as possible, never 
exceeding two pounds per pair. Except that the legs are 
white and delicate, all other points are similar to the Black 
Bantam, changing the colour of the plumage from black to a 
spotless white. It should, however, be remembered that while 
the white ear-lobe is required by most judges, as in the black 
variety, there are some who prefer a red, and this latter we 



166 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

must express our own decided opinion is much the smartest 
looking, and harmonises better with the white plumage. The 
most usual fault is a yellowish colour in the cock's saddle. A 
single comb is, of course, fatal. 

A very pretty feather-legged White Bantam is not un- 
frequently seen, and, though long neglected, appears to be 
coming into fashion again. They are usually rather too large, 
and tittention will have to be paid to this particular if the 
breed is to become popular. 

Nankin. — This is one of the old breeds of Bantams, and at 
one time nearly disappeared, but attempts have been recently 
made to re-introduce it. The ground colour is a pale orange 
yellow, usually with a little pencilling on the hackle. The 
best tail, to our fancy, is a pure black, with the coverts slightly 
bronzed. The comb is rose; and the dark legs should be 
perfectly clean. 

Pekin or Cochin Bantams. — This most remarkable of all 
Bantam breeds has only been introduced a few years, the 
original progenitors having been stolen from the Summer 
Palace at Pekin during the Chinese war. They were first 
shown in 1863. They exactly resemble Buff Cochins in colour 
and form, possessing the feather-leg, abundant fluff, and all the 
other characteristics of the parent breed in full perfection, and 
presenting a most singular appearance. They are not yet 
common, and the interbreeding necessitated by only one origi- 
nal stock existing, has caused much sterility and constitutional 
weakness. The strongest birds have been bred by crossing 
with other feather-legged Bantams to introduce fresh blood, 
and then breeding back to the pure strain. Pekin Bantams 
are very tame, and make excellent pets. 

Japanese. — This is the only addition to our poultry-yards 
yet imported from Japan, though we should hope yet to receive 
from that country some accessions also to our larger kinds. The 
Japanese Bantam is very short-legged, and differs from most of 
the older varieties in having a very large single comb. The 



THE "various" class. 167 

colour varies. They are often shown mottled or cuckoo- 
coloured, but what we like best is a pure white body with 
glossy, jet-black tail. 

Bantam chickens require a little more animal food than 
other fowls, and, for a week or two, rather extra care to keep 
them dry. After that they are reared as easily as other fowls, 
and should indeed be rather scantily fed to keep down the size. 
The hens are good mothers, and are often employed to rear 
small game; and are not bad layers, if the eggs were only 
larger. We believe them, however, to produce quite as much 
for their food as ordinary breeds. But their chief use is in the 
garden, where they eat many slugs and insects, with very little 
damage. On this account they may be usefully and profitably 
kept where a separate poultry-yard is found impracticable. We 
should prefer the Game variety, as being hardiest ; and, being 
good foragers, five or six of these may be kept in a garden for 
almost nothing, requiring only a house two feet square to roost 
and lay in. 

Bantam eggs are the very thing to tempt the appetite of 
an invalid, and are just nicely cooked by pouring boiling water 
over them upon the breakfast-table. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

THE "VARIOUS" CLASS. 

Under this heading we propose to describe, shortly, the principal 
breeds of poultry which usually appear in the class " for any 
other variety " at our shows, but have never established their 
claim to a special class of their own. For the most part these 
breeds have little economic value, but are too well marked in 
their characteristics to be entirely passed by. 

Dumpies, or Creepers. — This is probably the most useful 
variety of any mentioned in this chapter, and under various 
names, such as Go Laighs and Bakies, has long been known 



IG8 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS, 

and valued in Scotland, though never popular in this country. 
The principal characteristic is the extreme shortness of the 
shank, or leg bone, which should not exceed two inches from 
the hock joint to the ground. In other respects they most 
resemble Dorkings, lacking, however, the fifth toe, and being 
far more hardy than that variety. The hens are good layers of 
rather large eggs, and as mothers cannot be surpassed. The 
plumage is generally an irregular speckle, and it is difficult to 
get them any uniform colour. The cock should weigh six or 
seven and the hen five or six pounds. 

Dumpies certainly deserve to be better known. They have 
no particular faults, and, combining as they do very fair laying 
with great hardiness and first-class edible qualities, they must 
be considered decidedly profitable fowls. Their extreme short- 
ness of leg also points out their value as a cross to correct the 
" stiltiness " of some of our larger breeds, whilst the white- 
ness and quality of the flesh would be improved at the same 
time. 

Redcaps. — This must also be regarded as a profitable fowl. 
Tt is a kind of Golden-spangled Hamburgh, with the difference 
of being almost as large as a Dorking, and having the rose 
comb most prodigiously developed, that of the cock being often 
three inches across, and too heavy to stand upright. They 
cannot therefore be regarded as ornamental, which is probably 
the reason they do not meet with much general approval, being 
moreover often dark on the breast, and far inferior to the 
Hamburghs in beauty of marking. But they are enormous 
layers, not to be surpassed by any vai'iety; and, with the 
advantage of a large, plump body, we must pronounce them to 
be in economic value equal to any we know. They are hardy 
and easily reared, but not often met with except in York- 
shire, whence they should be procured if a good stock is 
desired. 

Silky, or Negro Fowls. — This breed possesses two distinct 
peculiarities. The webs of the feathers have no adhesion, and 



SILKY FOWLS. 



169 



the plumage is therefore " silky," or consisting of a number of 
single filaments, which makes the bird appear much larger than 
it really is, the actual weight of the cock being generally under 
three pounds, and of the hen about two pounds. The colour is 
usually pure white, but other colours are occasionally seen. The 
second peculiarity is the dark tint of the bones and skin, from 
which the name of " negro " fowls is derived. The skin is of a 
very dark violet colour, approaching to black, even the comb and 
wattles being a dull dark purple. The bones also are covered 
with a nearly black membrane, which makes the fowl anything 
but pleasant to look at upon the table ; but if the natural 





Silky Fowls. 



repugnance to this can be overcome, the meat itself is white, 
and very good eating, indeed superior to that of most other 
breeds. 

The plumage is often so excessively developed as to give 
the birds a most grotesque appearance. Our illustration is not 
in the least exaggerated, and is a good representation of many 
specimens of the breed. 



170 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

The comb varies in shape; but a Malay comb is best. 
There is generally a small crest on the top of the head. The 
legs are mostly well feathered to the ground, and often have 
five toes ; but neither point is universal. 

The sole value of the Silky Fowl is as a mother to Bantam, 
or other small and delicate chickens, such as pheasants or 
partridges. For such pui-poses they are unequalled, the loose 
long plumage affording the most perfect shelter possible. They 
are, of course, peculiarly susceptible to cold or wet, and have 
no other value than that stated, except from their singular and 
not unornamental appearance. 

The Emu, or Silky Cochin is an occasional sport from the 
ordinary Cochin fowl. The plumage resembles that of the 
preceding vai-iety ; but in every other point the fowl is a true- 
bred Cochin. The loose feathering being no real protection 
from wet, this breed, like the other, is very delicate in our 
climate. 

Frizzled Fowls present a most remarkable appearance, 
every feather in good specimens being curved, or turned back 
from the body, so as to show a portion of the under side, like 
the curved feathers in the tail of a common drake. The colour 
of the plumage is generally white, with single combs : but 
double combs and various colours are also seen. 

Frizzled fowls are, as might be supposed, exceedingly deli- 
cate, and most uncertain layers. The flesh is also inferior, and 
they have therefore no economic value, whilst they cannot even 
be termed ornamental. Their only recommendation is their 
singularity, in which certainly it would be very hard to surpass 
them. 

Rumpless Fowls are of various colours, the only essential 
characteristic being the absolute want of a tail, or of any 
approach to one. It is, indeed, exceedingly difficult to breed 
any particular colour, as few persons have interest in the breed 
sufficien t to persevere long enough for securing uniformity. The 
handsomest are white : black also looks well ; but speckled are 



BAKN DOOR. 



171 



\/l%M& 




172 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

most common. The size also varies very much, ranging from 
three to seven pounds each. 

In this variety not only are the tail feathers absent, but 
the caudal vertebrae are either wanting altogether, or only 
rudimentary. The hens are usually very fair layers, sitters, 
and mothers, and of average quality for the table ; the eggs, 
however, are very apt to prove sterile. On the whole, the 
breed has few decided faults, and is hardy ; the only reason, we 
suppose, that it is not generally bred, being that birds certainly 
look handsomer with a tail than without one. 

Russians. — This breed is mostly kept in Scotland. It is 
decidedly a " rongh-looking " fowl, being ornamented with 
tufts of feathers on each jaw, and an abundant beard under the 
chin. The colour is generally white or buff ; but black is also 
seen, with mixed colours also ; the most valuable are spangled 
like Hamburghs. On the whole, this is a good useful fowl, the 
flesh being satisfactory, whilst the hens are good layers and 
rather small eaters. The breed is hardy. 

Other fowls are occasionally shown, but do not require 
special notice, and we believe are very often mere accidental 
offshoots, or crosses, from well-known breeds. Some few, such 
as Rangoons and Chittagongs, are evidently chiefly Malay in 
their parentage ; but fowls are constantly shown in the class 
for " any other distinct varieties " which would defy any 
attempt to describe their origin. When the parentage is 
evident, the principal value of such specimens is to show the 
effect of crossing, in which respect they are often useful. This 
part of poultry-breeding is too much neglected. By it in a 
great measure has all other agricultural stock been brought 
to its present perfection ; and when steady effort shall be 
made to combine the qualities of some of our best varieties, 
establishing the strain afterwards by careful selection, we 
believe we shall have a breed of fowls which in size, prolificacy, 
and edible qualities united, will surpass any kind hitherto 
known. 



173 



AMERICAN FOWLS 



Since the early editions of this Work -were published, several 
breeds have been introduced into England from America. They 
are all of the " useful " type, rather than the ornamental ; but 
one of them, at least, is rapidly becoming a favourite, and an 
" American " class at shows is almost always well filled. 

Dominiques are pi-obably one of the oldest varieties, being 
only a fixed type of those " Cuckoo " fowls which have always 
been such favourites with hen- wives. They resemble, in fact, 
the Cuckoo-coloured fowls known as Scotch Greys, with the 
exception of having rose-combs and yellow legs. They are 
plump and tender on the table, and capital layers, and might 
make a valuable cross for the Cuckoo Dorking. They are, in 
our opinion, never likely to make a popular variety for showing ; 
but we know several who have kept them for their merely 
useful qualities, and in no one case has there been disappoint- 
ment in this respect. 

Leghorns much resemble in body a small Spanish fowl, 
having the same large combs (upright in the cocks and falling 
over in the hens). They have, however, red faces like 
Minorcas, with a white deaf-ear much smaller than those of 
Spanish, and all the varieties have bright yellow legs. There 
are White, Cuckoo-coloured or Dominique, and Brown breeds, 
the latter the same colour in both sexes as our Black-breasted 
Red Games. All are hardy, and the most astonishing layers 
we know, averaging over 200 eggs per annum in many cases. 
The colours are about alike in economic value : in America the 



174 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF FOWLS. 

Brown Leghorns are much the most popular, and realise high 
prices ; but in England, so far, the White variety has met with 
by far the most cordial reception. The Leghorn was undoubt- 
edly imported from the Mediterranean, and its extreme hardi- 
ness is therefore remarkable. The only mishap to which it is 
subject is the large comb becoming frost-bitten, which many 
Americans guard against by dubbing. It is a non-sitting 
breed, and lays the largest egg for its size of any fowl we know. 
Its economic value may be described as that of a Hamburgh, but 
laying a much larger egg, besides being — what the Hamburgh 
is not — well adapted for confinement. 

Plymouth Rocks are apparently only a cross between 
Dominiques and Cochins. They nearly resemble Cuckoo Cocliins 
in all but having clean legs ; and we have seen traces of 
feather which make this distinction doubtful. "We cannot 
speak very highly of this variety as yet, as it appears to breed 
with little certainty, and to be far from a good layer. Even in 
America this breed has never become extensively popular, and 
can only be recommended to those who desire a large bird of 
the Asiatic type without the accompaniment of leg-feather. 



TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND 
WATEREOWL. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

TURKEYS. GUINEA-FOWL. PEA-FOWL. 

Turkeys. — The most opposite opinions have been expressed by 
different breeders as to whether or not the rearing of turkeys 
in England can be made profitable ; and the general judgment 
we are bound to say, seems to be that they can barely be made 
to repay the cost of their food. There are not wanting, how- 
ever, those who from their own experience maintain the 
contrary ; and we believe that where the balance-sheet is 
unsatisfactory, the cause will generally be found in heavy losses 
from want of care. The usual mortality in turkey chicks is 
tremendous, and quite sufficient to eat up any possible amount 
of profit ; but there are many persons who for years have 
reared every chick; and, under these circumstances, they will 
yield a very fair return. 

"Without depending upon any one single breeder, we have 
taken much pains to gather, from the best authorities, the 
essentials of such successful management ; and wherever our 
directions shall be found to differ from others previously pub- 
lished, the reader may rely with confidence that the treatment 
given is such as has been thoroughly tested and proved to give 
the best results. 

The first main point to remember is, that for about the 



176 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL rOULTRY. AND WATERFOWL. 

first six weeks or two months the turkey chicks are excessively 
delicate, and that the very slightest shower, even in warm 
weather, will often carry off half of a large brood. When 
about two months old, however, the red naked protuberances 
about the neck and throat begin to appear, and as soon as 
these are fairly developed, the chicks become poults, and are 
soon hardier than any other fowl, braving any weather with 
impunity. 

It is therefore well worth while, and absolutely necessary 
to pecuniary success, to provide special shelter for the young 
broods during the critical period, ordinary poultry accommo- 
dation being insufficient. Even damp ground is so fatal that 
a boarded floor is advisable. "When any number are to be 
reared — and we certainly cannot recommend for profit the 
rearing of turkeys on a small scale — we should advise the 
erection of either a very spacious shed, floored with plank, or a 
large building of one storey high, to be devoted entirely during 
the season to the turkey stock. Of course, by a building we 
mean a mere shell of four bare walls, well roofed, and well 
lighted. With shelter of this kind there hardly need be a 
chick lost, except from accident. 

It has been stated by many that the number of hens allowed 
to a turkey cock maybe unlimited; and it certainly does appear 
indisputable that one visit to the cock is sufficient to render 
fertile all the eggs laid by a turkey hen. The best breeders, 
however, affirm that as the number of hens allowed to one 
bird approaches a score, the chicks show falling off in consti- 
tution; and the number ought therefore to be limited to twelve 
or fifteen — quite enough brood stock for even a large establish- 
ment. The turkey cock may be used for breeding at two 
years old, and the hen at twelve months, but are not in their 
prime till a year older. They will be first-class breeding stock, 
as a rule, for at least two years later, and many cocks in 
particular will breed splendid chickens for considerably longer; 



TURKEYS. 177 

a good bird should not therefore be discarded till his progeny 
show symptoms of degeneracy. 

The size of the hens is of special importance, much more 
than that of the cock, in whom good shape, strength, and spirit 
are of more value, if combined with a fair good size. 

The turkey-hen generally lays about eighteen eggs — -some- 
times only ten or a dozen, and when each egg has been taken 
away when laid, it may be more. "We once heard of ninety 
eggs being laid by a turkey-hen, but can scarcely credit such a 
statement. A very good plan is to give a turkey's first seven 
eggs to a common hen — quite as many as she can cover — when 
there will be generally just about enough laid subsequently to 
be hatched by the turkey herself. The best time to hatch the 
chicks out is in the months of May and June, or even July ; 
and all eggs set should be marked, as the turkey often lays 
several after commencing incubation. 

In a state of nature, the turkey-cock is constantly seeking 
to destroy both the eggs and chickens, which the female as 
sedulously endeavours to conceal from him. There is generally 
more or less of the same disposition when domesticated, and, 
when it appears, it must be carefully provided against ; but the 
behaviour of very many cocks is quite unexceptionable ; and 
as such a quiet disposition saves a great deal of trouble, it is 
always worth while to ascertain the character of the cock of the 
year in this respect. If he be friendly to the chicks and sitting 
hens, he may be left at large; if otherwise, he must be kept 
away. 

The turkey-hen is -very prudish, but gives scarcely any 
trouble while sitting. She sits so constantly that it is needful 
to remove her daily from her nest to feed, or she would 
absolutely starve. Nevertheless, when absent she is apt to be 
forgetful, and therefore, if allowed to range at liberty, care 
should be taken that she returns in time — twenty minutes. A 
better plan, however, is to let her have her liberty only in a 



178 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER- FOWL. 

confined run of grass. Besides her daily feed, a water vessel 
and some soft food should be always within her reach. No 
one must visit the hatching-house but the regular attendant, 
or the hens will get startled, and probably break many eggs, 
which easily happens, from the great weight of the birds. 

Many have alleged that the turkey sits thirty-one days. 
This is an error. The chicks break the shell from the twenty- 
sixth to the twenty-ninth day, scarcely ever later. The day 
but one before the hatching is expected, the hen should be 
plentifully fed, the nest cleaned of any dung or feathers during 
her absence, and an ample supply of food and water placed 
where she can reach it, as she must not again be disturbed till 
the chicks are out. In dry weather, if the nest be in a dry 
place, the eggs will have been daily sprinkled as described in 
Chapter IV. With these precautions, there will rarely fail to 
be a good hatch. 

The egg-shells may be cleared away after hatching has pro- 
ceeded some hours, but the chicks should never be taken away 
from the hen, and never he forced to eat. The latter practice is 
very general, as turkey chicks are very stupid, and do not 
seem to know how to peck. But a much better plan is to put- 
two ordinary hen's eggs under the turkey, five or six days after 
she began to sit, which will then hatch about the same time as 
her own, and the little chickens will teach the young turkeys, 
quite soon enough, what they should do. Water or milk may 
be given, however, by dipping the tips of the finger or a camel- 
hair pencil in the fluid, and applying it to the end of their 
beaks. 

The usual feeding is oatmeal and bread-crumbs, mixed with 
boiled nettles. Such food is not good, as turkey chickens for a 
few weeks have a great tendency to diarrhoea, which the 
oatmeal rather increases, and the result is a weakening of the 
system, and frequently many deaths. The very best feeding at 
first — say for a week — is hard-boiled eggs, chopped small, 



TURKEYS. 179 

mixed with nothing but minced dandelion. With regard to the 
choice of this herb, Mr. Trotter — who was the first to study 
turkey treatment rationally — and after him many others, have 
observed that, when at liberty, the young birds invariably choose 
the dandelion before all other green food, and it probably serves 
to keep the bowels in proper order. When dandelions cannot 
be obtained — and it is well worth while to grow them wher^ 
turkeys are reared — boiled nettles chopped fine are perhaps the 
best substitute. 

At the end of a week or ten days some bread-crumbs and 
barley-meal may gradually be added to the egg, which may be 
by degrees lessened, until quite discontinued at the end of three 
weeks. About this time, a portion of boiled potato forms an 
excellent addition to the food, and by degrees some small grain 
may be added also — in fact, assimilating the diet very much to 
that of other poultry. Curds also are excellent as a portion of 
the dietary, but must be squeezed very dry before they are 
given. They are easiest prepared- by adding a pinch of alum 
to a quart of milk slightly warmed. 

By this feeding, the little chicks will get well through their 
first great danger — the tendency to diarrhoea already alluded to ; 
and the cost of the egg will be repaid by the extra number 
reared. 

The second peril to be guarded against is cold and damp : a 
wetting is absolutely fatal. The chicks should be kept entirely 
under the shed, on a board floor kept scrupulously clean and 
nicely sanded, 'except during settled sunny weather, when they 
may be allowed a little liberty on the grass, after the dew is 
quite dry. But in cold or windy weather, however fine, they 
must be kept in the shed, and well screened from the wind. If 
there be a one-storey building, their best place will be the top 
floor, the bottom being devoted to the sitting hens and other 
adult stock. Their water also must be so supplied that they 
cannot wet themselves by any possibility; and these precau- 



180 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER-FOWL. 

tions must be continued till they are nine or ten weeks old, 
when they will begin to " put out the red," as it is called, or to 
develop the singular red excrescences on the neck so charac- 
teristic of the turkey breed. This process will last some little 
time, and when completed the birds will be pretty fully fledged. 
They are now hardy, but must not be too suddenly exposed to 
rain or cold winds. Take some reasonable care of them for a 
while longer, and very soon they will have become the hardiest 
birds known in the poultry-yard, braving with impunity the 
fiercest storms, and even preferring, if permitted, to roost on 
high trees through the depth of winter. In fact, turkeys will 
rarely roost in a fowl-house ; and a very high open shed should 
therefore be provided — the higher the better — the perches being 
placed as high as possible. They might be left to their natural 
inclination with perfect safety so far as their general health is 
concerned ; but in very severe weather their feet, if roosting on 
Bxposed trees, are apt to become frost-bitten. 

To attain great size, animal food and good feeding generally 
must be supplied from the first. By this means astonishing 
weights have been attained ; we knew of a cock which weighed 
very nearly forty pounds, and a full-grown bird much less than 
thirty would stand little chance at a good show. We do not 
say that such weights are profitable — we believe the contrary — 
but we do contend that fair good feeding, leading to fair good 
size, is the only way to extract profit from poultry of any kind. 

The ordinary domestic Turkey is of two kinds — the Norfolk 
(black all over) and the Cambridge. The latter is of all colours 
— the best, to our fancy, being a dark copper bronze ; but fawn 
colour and pure white are often seen, as are also variegated 
birds, which occasionally present a very magnificent appearance. 
The white variety is most delicate and difficult to rear of all, 
but the dark Cambridge takes most prizes, and usually attains 
the greatest size. 

"We cannot here go into the question of the origin of the 



GUINEA-FOWL. 181 

domestic Turkey, or give any detailed account of the wild 
varieties. We can only avow our belief that a cross with the 
well-known American wild bird greatly improves the stamina 
of the young chickens, and, wherever possible, should be em- 
ployed. The two races closely resemble each other, even if they 
are not the same ; and in such cases " wild blood " is of great 
service. We must also allude to the surpassing beauty of the 
celebrated wild Honduras breed, and express a hope that it may 
yet be made a permanent addition to English stock. In this 
magnificent bird are seen in the greatest brilliancy all the 
colours of the rainbow, whilst in size and edible qualities it ia 
little if at all inferior to its more sober-looking relatives. That 
it can be domesticated there is not the slightest doubt ; and 
although sufficient have never yet been imported to establish 
the breed in Europe, we hope yet to see English yards tenanted 
by a bird which combines first-class merit as a table fowl, with 
a really Oriental splendour. 

Guinea-fowl. — This bird, called also the Gallina and 
Pintado, mates in pairs, and an equal number of males and 
females must therefore be provided to prevent disappointment. 
There appear to be ten or twelve wild varieties, but only one 
has been domesticated in this country. 

To commence breeding Guinea-fowls, it is needful to pro- 
cure some eggs and set them under a common hen ; for if old 
birds be purchased they will wander off for miles as soon as 
they are set at liberty, and never return ; indeed, no fowl gives 
so much trouble from its wandering habits. If hatched in the 
poultry-yard, however, and regularly fed, they will remain ; but 
must always have one meal regularly at night, or they will 
scarcely ever roost at home. Nothing, however, will persuade 
them to sleep in the fowl-house, and they usually roost in the 
lower branches of a tree. 

The hen lays pretty freely from May or June to about 
August. She is a very shy bird, and if eggs are taken from 



182 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER- FOWL. 

her nest with her knowledge, will forsake it altogether, and 
seek another, which she conceals with the most sedulous care. 
A few should therefore always be left, and the nest never be 
visited when she is in sight. It is best to give the earliest eggs 
to a common hen, as the Guinea-fowl herself frequently sits too 
late to rear a brood. If "broody" in due season, however, she 
rarely fails to hatch nearly all. Incubation is from twenty-six 
to twenty-nine or thirty days. 

The chicks require food almost immediately — within, at 
most, six hours after hatching — and should be fed and cared for 
in the same manner as young turkeys, though they may be 
allowed rather more liberty. It should be observed, however, 
that they require more constant feeding than any other 
chickens, a few hours' abstinence being fatal to them ; and they 
need also rather more animal food to rear them successfully and 
keep them in good condition, especially in the winter. The 
chicks are very strong on their legs, and in fine weather may 
be allowed to wander with the hen when very young. 

The male birds of this breed are rather quarrelsome, and 
very apt to beat other fowls. 

The flesh of the Guinea-fowl is of exquisite flavour, much 
like that of the pheasant. The body about equals in size an 
ordinary Dorking, and is very plump and well-proportioned. 
Like all other finely flavoured birds, they should never be over- 
fed or crammed, as is sometimes done. "Who would think of 
cramming a pheasant to make it more "fit for the table?" 

Pea-fowl. — The distinguishing characteristics of this well- 
known bird, are the crest or aigrette on the top of the head, 
and the peculiar structure of the tail covert feathers. The 
true tail of the peacock is short and hidden, and what we call 
the "tail" is, strictly speaking, an excessive development of the 
tail-coverts or side feathers, which occasionally have been 
known to extend more than a yard and a half from their 
insertions- 



PEA- FOWL. 183 

The colour of the ordinary peacock is too well known to 
need description. White and pied varieties are also bred, but 
are, in our judgment, far less ornamental. This species, called 
by naturalists Pavo cristatus, has a crest consisting of about 
two dozen feathers, only webbed at the very tips. 

There is another variety, if possible still more beautiful, 
known as the Javan Pea-fowl, or Pavo muticus. This bird is 
larger than the common Pea-fowl, the male sometimes measur- 
ing more than seven feet from the bill to the end of the "tail." 
The naked space round the eye is also of a livid blue colour, 
and the feathers of the neck are laminated, or resembling 
scales. The most characteristic difference, however, is in the 
crest, which is much higher, and the feathers of which are 
webbed, though rather scantily, from the base, instead of being 
bare till near the tips. The bird also differs in only possessing 
his long and splendid ocellated train during the breeding 
season, at other times appearing with feathers not so long, and 
destitute of the well-known " eyes," but of a rich green with gold 
reflections, beautifully and regularly "barred," or "pencilled" 
on a very large scale, with whity-brown. This splendid bird is 
not very common- 

A third variety has recently been described, called the 
" black- winged " Pea-fowl, in which the shoulders and most of 
the wing in the male bird are black. The hen is much lighter 
than the common breed, being generally of a cream colour, with 
a dark back. It appears a distinct race ; but it must be ad- 
mitted that all three varieties of Pea-fowl freely intermix with 
a fertile result, and so closely resemble each other in nearly 
all their characteristics that a common origin is not at all 
unlikely. 

Pea-fowl are of a very wild disposition, and generally roost 
either on trees or on the very top ridge of a rocf, to which they 
fly with ease. The hen lays in the greatest seclusion, and must 
always be allowed to select her own nest, usually deep in a 



184 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER- FOWL. 

shrubbery. She lays generally from five to nine eggs, but 
sometimes considerably more. The time of incubation is about 
twenty-eight to thirty days. One cock should not have more 
than three or four hens. 

It is no use setting Pea-fowl eggs under common hens, 
which forsake their chickens in about two months, long before 
the young Pea-chicks can endure the night air. The Pea-hen 
goes with her brood at least six months, and the chicks need 
this. They are fed and cared for as turkeys, so far as keeping 
them from rain is concerned ; but must be let out on the grass 
always in dry weather, or they will not thrive. The food is 
also similar in general ; but some worms or other insect food 
should be provided in addition, in default of which some raw 
meat cut fine is the best substitute. 

Pea-fowl are tolerably familiar, and if regularly well fed 
will get very tame, and tap at the window when neglected. 
They are, however, ill-natured, and frequently beat and even 
kill other fowls, sometimes even attacking children. Prom 
this cause they are ill adapted to keep in a general poultry- 
yard, apart from their natural impatience of restraint. Young 
chickens in particular the cocks will often kill, and we believe 
even eat afterwards. Their proper place is on the lawn or in 
the park, where the splendid hues of the cocks show to great 
advantage, and their peculiar shrill scream is not too near to 
be disagreeable. 

They cannot be considered, of course, under the head of 
profitable poultry, being always kept for ornament. The flesh 
of a year-old bird is, however, excellent, and carves to great 
advantage on the table. Of the adult birds we have nothing 
to say, never having known any person who had attempted 
to eat one. They do not reach maturity until three years 
old. 



PHEASANTS. 185 

CHAPTER XXIIL 

PHEASANTS. 

These birds scarcely come under the head of Poultry ; but as 
they are often kept on account of their great beauty by 
amateurs, as well as extensively reared for the gun, some notice 
of them will not be out of place. 

Confined near a house, in an aviary open to view, Pheasants 
will seldom lay, and scarcely ever sit. In such circumstances 
evergreen or other shrubs should be so arranged as to afford 
them some seclusion, which may induce them to breed ; but it 
is best to hatch the eggs under a common hen. Some hen 
Pheasants, however, will lay and sit very well ; such are usually 
those which have been hatched and reared in confinement, and 
the fact proves to our minds that with care and perseverance 
these birds might in time be as thoroughly domesticated as the 
other inmates of our poultry -yards. It is confirmatory of this, 
that whilst the wild hen only lays a dozen or fifteen eggs, in 
confinement, the eggs being taken daily, a home-reared bird 
will often lay forty or fifty, as in the case of the common fowL 

Pheasants require more than any other stock the most 
scrupulous cleanliness, with very abundant green food, and 
rather more animal substance than other poultry, otherwise 
the general treatment is very similar. The cock, who must be 
at least two years old, should be mated with three or four hens 
not under twelve months. 

One wing should always be cut or stripped, to prevent the 
birds flying up and injuring themselves, as they will otherwise 
do. This is the more necessary, as an aviary for Pheasants 
should never be covered, the adult birds doing much better 
in an open run well gravelled and kept clean. 

"When reared as an amusement on such a limited scale, the 
chicks, which hatch on the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth day, 



180 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER- FOWI* 

should be put out and treated generally much like chickens, or 
rather turkey-chicks, giving them a board coop made tight and 
sound, and only letting them run on grass when quite dry and 
warm; always giving them perfect shelter from wet and cold 
winds, but at the same time plenty of fresh air. They must, 
however, have more animal food than other chickens ; and for 
the first few days it is best to feed entirely on hard-boiled egg 
chopped fine,, ants' eggs, and curd pressed through a cloth till 
quite dry, with now and then a little stale bread-crumb soaked 
in milk. For green food, leeks or onions minced small are best. 
After a week their staple food may be oatmeal dough mixed 
very dry, and made into little pills, varied with chopped egg 
and bruised hemp-seed, and occasionally crushed wheat, animal 
food being also given. Ants' eggs, as is well known, are the 
very best animal diet for young Pheasants, and almost necessary 
to any great success in rearing, though much may be done 
without by care and attention. 

The chicks must be fed for some time nearly every hour ; 
and their water, which should always be drawn from a spring, 
must be renewed several times a day. This is the only way of 
avoiding the dreaded "gapes," which is tenfold more fatal to 
young Pheasants than to any other fowls; but which may be kept 
off by keeping the water always clear, and never letting them 
out, while young, on wet grass. Adult birds, however, are very 
hardy ; and do not, if the soil be tolerably light and dry, require 
shelter from any ordinary weather, beyond what a few shrubs, 
or even dry brambles, thrown in their pen, will afford them. 

Feeding-boxes, so commonly used, we consider bad. Keep 
the ground clean, and scatter the food broadcast. There is no 
better than buckwheat and barley for old birds, with greet 
food regularly, and a little animal food now and then, like other 
fowls. 

For rearing on a large scale, Mr. Baily, who has had great 
experience, recommends laying pens twelve feet square, to be 



PHEASANTS. 187 

erected on light dry grass land, if possible on the side of a hill 
facing west or south.. These pens should be made of tem- 
porary hurdles or fencing, six or seven teet high, constructed of 
laths nailed an inch apart, and touching the ground every- 
where at bottom, so as to keep out vermin. The advantages of 
such a plan are, first, cheapness, and secondly, convenience ; as 
the hurdles can be taken down when the breeding season is 
over, and packed away in a very small compass. It is also 
advisable to erect them every year on fresh ground, which 
such a rough construction eminently facilitates. 

Every such pen is adapted for a cock and three or four 
hens, whose wings must be cut to prevent their flying over. 
For a nest a slight hollow should be scooped in the ground in 
the centre, and filled with sand, at each end of which, and six 
feet apart, a short stake thirty inches high should be driven, on 
the tops of which is nailed a horizontal pole. Against this pole 
rough twig fagots are inclined from each side, forming a rough 
kind of shelter, which the pheasant prefers to any regular 
receptacle. 

The eggs should be collected every evening ; and if this 
be regularly done, every hen in the breeding-pen will 
usually lay at least twenty-five; the laying faculty, as we 
have already remarked, being increased by domestication. 
They are best set under Game hens, but the hen Pheasant 
may also be allowed a share, which she will hatch well, but 
is not quite so manageable with her chicks as the common 
hen. 

The early treatment will be as already described, but when 
a few days — say a week — old, the board coops are placed in 
regular rows out on a grass-field, which should be given up to 
the purpose. A space round every coop should be mown close, 
Dut the rest left standing to afford the poults shelter from the 
heat, which they are unable to bear, suffering from it almost 
more than from cold. The chicks should be shut in at nighty 



188 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER FOWL. 

but let out strictly at daybreak every morning, as they are 
early risers. 

Feeding will be as before mentioned, taking, of course, equal 
pains to keep the water rigidly clear. Many large breeders 
hang up pieces of meat to putrefy, in order to procure the 
peculiar white worms, called " gentles," which are collected in 
a tin or zinc pan placed underneath \ but such should be 
sparingly used, as the young poults often refuse plain tood afW. 
Ants' eggs are much better. 

"When the breeding season is over, the old birds, and the 
young also when well grown, are most conveniently kept fifty 
or sixty together, in pens fifty leet square; being suffered to 
remain there until wanted, or till the breeding-pens are made 
up for next year, 

On this system, with good management, eighty per cent of 
the eggs laid may be brought to the gun, and the natural 
produce thus more than doubled. 

Of the different vaiieties, ths Common Pheasant is most 
delicate, and is lather Wild. The plumage is too well known 
to need any description, especially as the breed is not so well 
adapted for the mere amateur as the beautiful Chinese or ring- 
necked breeds, which are daily becoming more common, and 
are hardier and easier to rear. 

The Golden Pheaeant cock is also a magnificent bird. The 
head bears a crest of beautiful amber-coloured feathers. The 
back of the head and neck is of a beautiful orange red, passing 
low down the breast int a deep scarlet, which is the colour of 
all the under parts. j"he neck feathers are arranged like plate- 
armour, and are often erected by the bird. The back is a deep 
^old colour, the tail covert feathers being laced with crimson : 
tail-feathers brown mottled with black. The hen is of a more 
sober tint, being of a general brown colour with dark 
markings. 

This variety is very wild and easily startled, but is, never- 



PHEASANTS. 



189 



theless, more easily reared than the common pheasant, and 
would probably become more domesticated with perseverance 
in breeding under a hen. The hen pheasant herself is so shy 
that she scarcely ever hatches, unless in an unusually sheltered 
place, with shr aba and bushes arranged to resemble nature as 
much as possible. 

The Silver Pheasant is most easily tamed of all the varieties, 
and is also the hardiest; whilst, in our opinion, it equals any in 
beauty. The cock bird of this breed has a blue crest, and all 
the upper part of the body is a silvery white, most exquisitely 
pencilled with fine black lines arranged with the most mathe- 
matical precision. Breast and under parts usually quite black, 
but sometimes a little mottled. The hen is brown, but re- 
markably neat and pretty. 

This bird, if home-reared, may have its liberty in the 
poultry-yard, feeding with the other fowls ; and has often been 
known to lay forty or fifty eggs. There appears, therefore, 
every reason to believe that with perseverance it might be 
rendered quite a domestic, and even profitable, variety. 

Hybrids between the Common Pheasant and other birds 
are not unfrequent. They have been known to breed with the 
B]ack Cock, Turkey, Guinea-fowl, and common domestic hen ; 
the latter cross being not at all uncommon, as every gamekeeper 
knows. Such hybrids are, however, invariably sterile amongst 
themselves, and a very high authority* has declared them also 
totally unproductive when mated even with the parent ; but 
there is undoubted evidencef of at least two birds having been 
"eared as the produce of such a cross, mated again with the 
cock pheasant. The subject is only interesting from the sin- 
gular fact, that although a cock pheasant is a much smaller 
bird than the domestic fowl, the cross produced is almost 
invariably very much larger in size than the mother, probably 

* Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier. 

t See Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1836. 



190 TURKEYS. ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER- FOWL. 

in consequence of the strong "wild blood" introduced; and 
hence some may think the experiment worth repeating. It is 
certainly true that by long perseverance great difficulties of 
this kind have been overcome, and hybrids, formerly considered 
barren, have been found at least partially fertile ; but in this 
case interbreeding has been so often tried that we cannot 
consider the field very promising. One great obstacle is the 
extreme and apparently untamable wildness of the primary 
hybrid from which it is wished to breed ; and the only chance 
of success would appear to be rearing such singly, in company 
with his or her intended mate. 

We have only one further remark to make. Pheasants 
should never be caught with the hand, as their bones are 
fractured with the greatest ease. An implement should be 
kept for the purpose, resembling a large butterfly net, but with 
the bag of open netting instead of gauze. In this way they 
may be caught when needed with the utmost facility; but they 
should never be meddled. with more than absolutely necessary. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

WATER-FOWL. 

Tiie above general heading, under which we shall shortly treat 
of Ducks, Geese, and Swans, should be borne in mind before 
such stock is added to the poultry-yard. They are strictly water 
birds ; and although ducks may be often seen in courts and 
alleys where the nearest approach to a pond which they have 
ever known is some filthy mud-puddle, to keep animals whose 
proper habitat is so well marked in such unnatural circumstances 
must revolt every truly humane mind, and cannot in the long 
run repay any one who attempts it. 

Ducks. — In the case of these birds alone may some little 



AYLESBURY DUCES. 191 

exception be made to the above remark, as they will do well in 
a garden or any other tolerably wide range where they can 
procure plenty of slugs and worms, with a pond or cistern only 
a few feet across. Kept in this manner, they will not only be 
found profitable, but very serviceable ; keeping the place almost 
free of those slugs which are the gardener's great plague, and 
doing but little damage, except to strawberries, for which they 
have a peculiar partiality, and which must be carefully protected 
from their ravages. Other fruit is too high to be in much 
danger. 

In such circumstances there can be no doubt whatever that 
ducks are profitable poultry; and where numerous fowls are 
kept, a few should also be added, as they will keep themselves, 
very nearly, on what the hens refuse ; but where every atom of 
the food they consume has to be paid for in cash, our own 
opinion is that ducks do not pay to rear except for town 
markets, their appetites are so everlasting and voracious. This 
point, however, we must leave to the experience of the reader, 
and proceed to consider the two principal varieties — known as 
the Aylesbury and Rouen. The following descriptions and 
accompanying remarks are from the pen of Mr. John K. 
Fowler, of Aylesbury, one of the largest poultry-breeders, and 
certainly the most successful exhibitor of ducks, in England :— 

" My idea of a perfect Aylesbury drake and duck is, that in 
plumage they should be of the purest snow white all over. The 
head should be full, and the bill well set on to the skull, so that 
the beak should seem to be almost in a line from the top of the 
head to the tip. The bill should be long, and when viewed in 
front appear much like a woodcock's : it should be in prize 
birds of a delicate flesh colour, without spot or blemish, and 
with a slight fleshy excrescence where the feathers commence. 
If it occasionally has a very slight creamy tint it would not 
disqualify, but any approach to dark buff or yellow is fatal to 
the pen. Eye full, bright, and quite black. 



192 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATER-FOWL. 

"The legs should be strong, with the claws well webbed, 
and in colour of a rich dark yellow or orange. Body rather 
long, but broad across the shoulders, and the neck rather long 
and slender. The drake should have one and sometimes has 
two sharp curls in his tail. 

" The weight of each bird in a show pen ought to be about 
nine pounds, but this is not very often attained. 

" Immense numbers of ducks are bred around Aylesbury. 
It is not at all unusual to see around one small cottage 2,000 
ducklings, and it has been computed that upwards of £20,000 
per annum is returned to the town and neighbourhood in 
exchange, whilst the railway not uncommonly carries a ton 
weight of the birds up to the London market in a single night. 

" The Aylesbury Duck often begins to lay before Christmas. 
Sitting hens are then procured; and immediately after hatching 
the ducklings are taken away from the hens and put, fifty or a 
hundred together, in a close warm place, with one hen tied by 
the leg to teach them to peck and also to huckle them. They 
should be given stimulating food ; that is, meal well mixed 
with boiled meat and greaves : they are thus made fat in six or 
6even weeks, and if sent to market in March or April realise 
from 12s. to 18s. per couple. 

" With regard to my own breeding stock, the selection gives 
me no trouble. All the large breeders know that I will give 
a guinea at any time, for a very fine and well-developed bird, 
and I thus keep my strain large, and am constantly infusing 
new blood. 

" Many persons cannot imagine how the specimens of the 
breed reared here acquire such faultless flesh-coloured bills. 
The cause is local, as might be supposed. The beautiful prize 
tint is obtained by giving the ducks in their troughs of water a 
peculiar kind of white gravel found only in the neighbourhood 
of Aylesbury, in appearance resembling pummice-stone. In this 
gravel they constantly shovel their bills, and this keeps them 



ROUEN DUCKS. 193 

white. Also, birds intended for exhibition are seldom allowed 
out in the sun, as it tans the bills sadly. 

" In selecting breeding stock, drakes should be chosen with 
very long bills, like a woodcock's, and ducks with broad backs 
and large solid bodies." 

For the gravel mentioned by Mr. Fowler, it is difficult to 
find a perfect substitute. Any other kind of clean white gravel 
may however be tried, and it may be well worth while for in- 
tending prize-takers to transport a quantity to their yards. It 
is also very beneficial to the paleness of the bills to let the 
ducks out on the wet grass in the very early morning, before 
the sun is up. Besides the tanning influence of the sun, it is 
well known that ferruginous soil has a peculiar specific effect 
on the bill, often turning it yellow in a single week. A bill 
thus stained can never be paled again ; and Aylesbury Ducks 
should therefore never be let out on land containing iron ore. 

" Rouen Ducks," Mr. Fowler states, " are reared much the 
same as Aylesbury, but are not nearly so forward, rarely laying 
till February or March. They are very handsome, and will 
weio-h eight or nine pounds each ; and, as a rule, do much 
better in most parts of England than the Aylesburys. Their 
flesh is excellent, and at Michaelmas is, I think, superior to 
the other. 

"The best general description of the Ron ens in plumage is 
to be precisely like the wild mallard, but larger. The drake 
should have a commanding appearance, with a rich green and 
purple head, and a fine long bill, formed and set on the head as 
I have described for the Aylesburys. The bill should look ciean^ 
of a yellow ground, with a very pale wash of green over it, and 
the 'bean' at the end of it jet black. His neck should have a 
sharp, clearly-marked white ring round it, not quite meeting 
at the back. Breast a deep rich claret-brown to well below 
the water-line, then passing into the under body-colour, which 
is a beautiful French grey, shading into white near the tail. 



194 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATERFOWL. 

The back ought to be a rich greenish black quite up to the tail 
feathers, the curls in which are a rich dark green. Wings a 
greyish brown, with distinct purple and white ribbon-mark 
well developed. The flight-feathers must be grey and brown — 
any approach to white in them is a fatal disqualification, not to 
be compensated by any other beauty or merit. Legs a rich 
orange. Nothing can exceed the beauty of a drake possessing 
the above colours in perfection. 

"The bill of the duck should not be so long as in the 
drake, and orange brown as a ground colour, shading off at the 
edges to yellow, and on the top a distinct splash or mark of 
a dark colour approaching black, two-thirds down from the 
top ; it should there be rounded off, and on no account reach 
the sides. I may also remark that any approach to slate 
colour in the bills of either sex would be a fatal blemish. The 
head of the duck is dark brown, with two distinct light brown 
lines running along each side of the face, and shading away to 
the upper part of the neck. Breast a pale brown, delicately 
pencilled with dark brown ; the back is exquisitely pencilled 
with black upon a moderately dark brown ground. The 
shoulder of the wing is also beautifully pencilled with black 
and grey ; flight-feathers dark grey, any approach to white 
being instant disqualification ; and ribbon-mark as in the drake. 
Belly, up to the tail light brown, with every feather delicately 
pencilled to the tip. Legs orange, often, however, with a brown 
tinge. The duck sometimes shows an approach to a white 
ling round the neck, as in the drake ; such a good judge would 
instantly disqualify." 

To the foregoing, by far the best description of these two 
varieties ever published, we can add nothing. We will only 
remark that when intended for fattening, ducks should have 
only a trough of water instead of their usual pond, and should 
then be fed on barley meal. Celery will add a delicious 
flavour. In ordinary rearing the ducklings should be left with 



MUSCOVY AND OTHER DUCKS. 195 

the hen, or inocher-duck, and kept from the water entirely for 
a week or ten days ; then only allowed to swim for half an hour 
at a time, till the feathers begin to grow, else they will be 
liable to die of cramp. They will soon be totally independent 
of their mother, and may then be left entirely to themselves • 
only taking precautions against rats, to which ducklings fall 
victims far oftener than any other poultry. 

The Muscovy, or Mush Duck, appears to be a totally distinct 
breed, the cross between it and other ducks being, at least 
usually, unfertile. The drake is very large, often weighing 
ten pounds, and looking far more on account of the loose 
feathering ; but the female is less than the Aylesbury, not 
exceeding about six pounds. The plumage of this variety 
varies greatly from all white to a deep blue-black, but usually 
contains both. The face is naked, and the base of the bill is 
greatly carunculated. The drake is very quarrelsome, and we 
well remember the injuries inflicted by an old villain of this? 
breed belonging to a relative, upon a fine Dorking cock in the 
same yard. "When excited, the bird alternately depresses and 
raises its head, uttering most harsh and guttural sounds, and 
with the red skin round the face presenting an appearance 
which has been justly described as " infernal." 

The flesh of the Musk Duck is very good eating ; but it is 
far inferior as a layer to either the Rouen or the Aylesbury, 
and cannot be considered a very useful variety. 

Call Ducks are principally kept as ornamental fowl. The 
voice of the drake is peculiar, resembling a low whistle. They 
vary in colour, one variety precisely resembling the Aylesbury 
in plumage, but with a yellow bill, and the other the Rouen ; 
but in both cases bearing the same relation to them as Game 
Bantams do to the Game Fowl. The flesh is good ; but there 
is too little to repay breeding them for the table, and their 
only proper place is on the lake. 

The East Indian, or Buenos Ayres Black Duclc, is a most 

k 2 



196 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY. AND WATERFOWL. 

beautiful bird. The plumage is black, with a rich green lustre, 
and any white, grey, or brown feathers are fatal. They should 
be bred for exhibition as small as possible, never exceeding five 
and four pounds. As they usually pair, equal numbers should 
be kept of both sexes. The flesh of this duck is more delicious 
than that of any other variety, in our estimation. 

The Cayuga, or Large Black Duck, of America, is a breed 
well worth natiu'alising in this country, being hardy and a 
good layer, The plumage is black, approaching brown, with a 
white collar or neck, which with careful breeding might be 
soon made into a neat well-defined ring. Weight from six to 
eight pounds each, being thus inferior to the Aylesbury and 
Rouen, but with better flavour, and greater aptitude to fatten. 

The Common Duck needs no description. We believe it 
to be the Rouen more or less degenerated, or rather, perhaps, 
not bred up to the perfection of that breed. 

It should be remembered in keeping ducks that the 
wild birds are monogamous, and not more than two or three 
|iven to one drake, if eggs are wanted for sitting. The duck 
usually sits well, and always covers her eggs with loose straw 
when leaving them, a supply of which should therefore be left 
by her. The usual number laid is fifty or sixty ; but ducks 
have laid as many as two hundred and fifty in one year ; and 
we believe with care this faculty might be greatly developed, 
and their value much increased as producers of eggs. At 
present they are mostly kept for table. 

The Aylesbury Duck is usually heaviest, and is considered 
the best layer by many ; but on the whole the Rouen is to be 
preferred. At Birmingham, however, last Christmas (1866) 
the Rouen exceeded the Aylesbury in weight, both being 
shown in the greatest perfection. 

Ducks should have a separate house, with a brick or stone 
floor, as it requires to be frequently washed down. Clean straw 
should be given them at least every alternate night. Other 



197 

attention they need none, beyond the precaution of keeping 
them in imtil they have laid every morning. This is necessary, 
as the Duck is very careless about laying, and if left at liberty 
will often drop her eggs in the water whilst swimming. 

Our illustration is drawn from the Birmingham prize birds 
uf last year. 

Geese. — " Of the two principal breeds of geese," Mr. 
Fowler writes, " I very much prefer the Grey or Toulouse to 
the White or Embden, being larger and handsomer. I have 
had a Toulouse gander which weighed thirty-four pounds, a 
weight never, I am sure, attained by the White breed. They 
are also better shaped, as a rule, and every way the more 
profitable variety. The forehead should be flat, and the bill a 
clear orange red. The plumage is a rich brown, passing into 
white on the under parts and tail coverts. 

" The Embden Goose is pure white in every feather, and 
the eye should show a peculiar blue colour in the iris in all 
well-bred birds." 

We should recommend for market to cross the Toulouse 
Goose with the White, by which greater weight is gained than 
in either variety pure-bred ; but much will depend upon 
circumstances. White or cross-bred geese require a pond, but 
the Toulouse, with a good grass run, will do well with only a 
trough of water, and will require no extra feeding, except for 
fattening or exhibition. 

The only foreign varieties requiring mention are the Chinese 
and the Canada geese, both of which appear to be really mid- 
way between the geese proper and the swans, which they 
resemble in length of neck 

The Chinese Goose is t»i a general brown colour, passing 
into light grey or white on the breast, with a dark brown 
stripe down the back of the neck. They have much of the 
beauty of the swan, which they also resemble in having a dark 
protuberance round the base of the upper mandible. The voice 



198 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATERFOWL. 

is very harsli and peculiar. This breed is not a good grazer, 
and is best reared in the farm-yard. 

The Canada Goose also is not a good grazer, and does best 
near marshy ponds, in which circumstances they will thrive 
and be found profitable. 

With regard to the general management of geese little need 
be said. More than four or five should not be allowed to one 
gander, and such a family will require a house about eight feet 
square ; but to secure fine stock three geese are better to one 
male. Each nest must be about two feet six inches square, 
and, as the goose will always lay where she has deposited her 
first egg, there must be a nest for each bird. If they each lay 
in a separate nest the eggs may be left ; otherwise, they should 
be removed daily. 

Geese should be set in March or early April, as it is very 
difficult to rear the young in hot weather. The time is thirty 
to thirty-four days. The goose sits very steadily, but should 
be induced to come off daily and take a bath. Besides this she 
should have in reach a good supply of food and water, or 
hunger will compel her, one by one, to eat all her eggs. The 
gander is usually kept away ; but this is not very needful, as he 
not only has no enmity to the eggs or goslings, but takes very 
great interest in the hatching, often sitting by his mate for 
hours. 

The goslings should be allowed to hatch out entirely by 
themselves. "When put out, they should have a fresh turf 
daily for a few days, and be fed on boiled oatmeal and rice, 
with water from a pond, in a very shallow dish, as they should 
not be allowed to swim for a fortnight, for which time the 
goose is better kept under a very large crate. After two week3 
they will be able to shift for themselves, only requiring to be 
protected from very heavy rain till fledged, and to have one or 
two feeds of grain daily, in addition to what they pick up. 

For fattening they should be penned up half-a-do/.en 



SWANS. 199 

together in a dark shed and fed on barley meal, being let out 
several hours for a last bath before being killed, in order to 
clean their feathers. 

" For exhibition," Mr. Fowler says, " all geese should be 
shut up in the dark, and fed liberally upon whole barley or 
oats thrown into water. It is essential to great weight to 
keep them very quiet, letting them out in the water, however^ 
for half an hour eveiy day." 

Swans. — There are six or seven varieties of swans known 
to naturalists, but only three are at present, or likely to 
be, domesticated in this country — viz., the large English 
White or Mute Swan; the Australian or Black Swan, and the 
Chili or Peruvian Swan. The plumage of the two first needs 
no description ; but that of the Chilian Swan differs from 
either in being white on the body, with a black head and neck 
making rather a pleasing contrast of colour. In size the White 
Swan is largest of all. All three varieties are long-lived, and 
particular birds are reported to have reached the age of one 
hundred years. 

The following remarks on swans are by Trevor Dickens, 
Esq., of London, who is well acquainted with these beautiful 
birds : — 

" Besides ornament, swans are often of considerable use in 
clearing lakes or canals from weeds generally, and in particular 
from the one peculiar plant which within late years has become 
an only too well-known n uisance. To this there is, however, a 
drawback, as they also destroy the young fry of fish. 

. " The large English White Swan is most beautiful in form, 
as well as in colour. The Black Swan is also apt to be bad- 
tempered, and is more mischievous on the water ; for all which 
reasons the first place must still be given to the magnificent 
old English breed. It sometimes occurs wild, but in such 
circumstances is always of a rather grey colour instead of pure 
white. The finest swans in England are to be seen in the 



200 TURKEYS, ORNAMENTAL POULTRY, AND WATERFOWL. 

Thames and Trent rivers, and at Abbotsbury in Dorsetshire. 
The Marquis of Exeter, at Burghley Park, the Marquis of 
Abercorn, and in Scotland the Earl of Wenryss, are also well 
known for their beautiful swans. 

" The female swan lays in February, every other day until 
seven to nine eggs are laid, and then sits for forty-two days.* 
More than five cygnets, however, are seldom hatched. The nest 
is made somewhere amongst the flags and weeds at the water's 
edge, and it is dangerous to approach either the male or female 
during incubation, as they are very irascible, and a blow from 
their strong pinions will even break a man's arm. 

u The cygnets are best fed by throwing meal upon the 
water. The old birds, if they have a large water range, will 
only need feeding in severe winter, when they should have 
grain. They also like grass thrown to them, and bread, which 
they will frequently eat from the hand. 

" It is usually asserted that the swan is strictly monogamous. 
But I have frequently seen two females with the male during 
the breeding season, and believe the idea to have arisen from 
the stronger female always seeking to drive the weaker away 
before breeding. Eull-grown males never agree at all, and 
must, therefore, be kept separate." 

It is impossible to add anything on the general manage- 
ment of swans, as the young birds must be left to shift for 
themselves, the parents being too jealous and powerful to 
submit to restraint. But for this, they might perhaps be 
more widely kept, as the young cygnets are excellent for the 
table, and very easily reared. 

* Bechstein, a raost accurate observer, and many others, contradict 
this, and state that the swan sits for only tb''rty-£ive days. 



SECTION V. 



THE HATCHING AND BEARING OF CHICKENS 
ARTIFICIALLY. 



THE HATCHING AND EEAEING OF CHICKENS 
ARTIFICIALLY. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

THE INCUBATOR AND ITS MANAGEMENT. 

The artificial hatching of chickens, as is well known, has been 
practised as quite an ordinary thing in Egypt for thousands of 
years, and with the most complete success ; yet, strange to say, 
is only a very modern experiment in Europe, and, on the 
whole, by no means a satisfactory one. 

To give a history of all, or even of the principal attempts 
that have been made to hatch chickens by heat artificially 
applied, would far exceed our limits, and would be of no 
practical use. It will be enough to say that Reaumur was the 
first who really took the matter up in earnest, and he suc- 
ceeded also about as well as those who have come after him. 
His method was to place the eggs in wooden casks, or other 
vessels, and then to surround the whole with fresh dung in a 
state of fermentation, which was renewed as often as necessary. 
For obvious reasons this system is never likely to be popular ; 
but it is mentioned by Mr. Geyelin as still employed with 
success in France. 

Cantelo was the first to imitate the hen in supplying the 
heat from above, and his apparatus was very fairly successful, 
the only real objection being its great cost. Precisely the 
same may be said of the elaborate contrivance of Minasi ; it 



204 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND REARING OF CH1CKEN8. 

Latches chickens with success, but is too costly ever to become 
popular, unless the price can be greatly reduced ; and, on the 
whole, the only incubators we consider well adapted to general 
use are those of M. Carbonnier, Mr Brindley, and Mr. F. 
Schroder, which we shall first describe, referring afterwards to 
the essentials of successful management. That desci-ibed by 
Mr. Geyelin in his well-known pamphlet we do not think worth 
consideration. 

M. Carbonnier's incubator is so simple as to be easily 
understood without a diagram, and can be constructed by any 
country workman. The heating apparatus consists of a tin or 
copper cistern, or boiler, of any desired size, made with a flat 
bottom, and heated by a lamp, for which a chamber is provided 
in one end. The lamp must, of course, be constructed to burn 
for a certain time without alteration, and it is essential that 
the lamp chamber be in the end of the cistern, that there may 
be a proper and regular circulation of the water. The cistern 
should be kept nearly filled, with a thermometer constantly 
immersed to show the temperature. 

Under the cistern slides a drawer, in which the eggs are 
placed upon a little hay. They should not, however, be ex- 
posed direct to the heat of the cistern — the great failing of 
most incubators — but ought to be covered with a piece of 
canvas, on which is spread a layer of sawdust half-an-inch 
thick. The sawdust readily becomes warmed by the heat of 
the cistern, and, resting gently upon the eggs, warms them in 
a more natural manner than any other incubator we know. 
In the egg-drawer a second thermometer should be kept, to 
show the heat to which the eggs are actually subjected. It 
should be observed that in this, as in every other incubator, 
the cistern must extend some inches beyond the eggs on every 
side, or those outside will not get their proper heat, and there- 
fore perish. 

The management of this incubator is very simple. The 



THE INCUBATOR. 



205 




^Sg 



lamp must be so adjusted that the actual temperature of the 
sawdust may be kept at a standard of 102° or 103°,* and then 

* As this temperature varies from that usually given, see remarks or 
the subject further on. 



206 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND REARING OP CHICKENS. 

regularly and properly attended to, so as to ensure this. Once 
a day the eggs must be withdrawn, and exposed for twenty 
minutes to the cold air of the apartment ; and, when replaced, 
each egg must be turned over, and the sawdust laid again upon 
them, and sprinkled, from a small watering-pot, with water 
heated to 105°, so as to make it slightly moist. In all these 
proceedings Nature is most exactly followed, and the result will 
be a good proportion of well-hatched chickens. 

The arrangement of Mr. Brindley's incubator is shown by 
Fig. 14. F is a copper boiler, heated either by a gas jet or by 
a paraffin lamp, B, furnished with a reservoir, also marked B, 
carefully constructed to burn with steadiness. From this 
boiler the hot water flows constantly through a system of 
metal pipes arranged in a horizontal plane between two plates 
of glass, which thus form a hot-air chamber heated by the 
pipes. Under the lower glass plate slides the drawer, 0, lined 
with felt, which contains the eggs, E. At each side of the 
lamp, at A, are temporary receptacles, or artificial mothers, to 
receive the chickens for the first day, after which they must be 
removed and provided for separately. The hot-air chamber is 
provided with a "safety valve," acted on by the expansion of 
mercury, which can be balanced to open at any desired tempe- 
rature. Such a valve appears to have been first employed 
by M. Yallee, of the Jardin des Plantes, Paris ; but we believe 
Mr. Brindley's valve to be superior, and, within reasonable 
limits, to answer its purpose very fairly. To make any valve 
the sole regulator, and expect it alone to keep the heat uni- 
form, as some appear to do, is absolute nonsense. All that 
can be expected of any valve is to open when the heat becomes 
two or three degrees too high, and admit cool air to reduce it 
to the proper temperature ; but if the air be carelessly allowed 
to get really hot, the valve, though open, cannot keep the heat 
down, neither can it guard against a lower temperature than is 
proper. 

Mr. Brindley's incubator, it will be seen, differs radically 



THE INCUBATOR. 



207 



in principle from the preceding, as also from the next we shall 
notice, in that water is not emp'oyed directly to warm the eggs, 
but simply to impart heat to a chamber of hot air, through 
which the heat is communicated. Otherwise the management is 
very similar. The eggs require to be withdrawn and cooled 
once a day ; and before they are replaced they should be care- 
fully turned, and sprinkled with warm water, which should 




Fig. 15. 



also be allowed to moisten the felt lining of the tray in which 
they are contained. 

The last incubator we shall describe, and the last yet made 
public, is the invention of Mr. F. H. Schroder, the able 
manager of the National Poultry Company, and is shown in 
section in Fig. 15. Mr. Schroder has adopted an altogether 
distinct and separate boiler, which is not shown, and which is 
connected with the hot-water tank, C, of the incubator by 
two pipes, B being the inlet pipe and D the outlet. This tank 
is provided with an open tube, I — in which a thermometer can 



208 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND REARING OF CHICK EN T S. 

be placed to show the temperature — and with a ventilating 
tube, H, which is open at top and bottom. Under the tank 
slide the egg-drawers, E, which in area resemble the quadrant 
of a circle, Mr. Schroder's incubator being of a circular form. 
The bottoms of these drawers are of perforated zinc. Under all 
is a tank, F, of cold water. The space, G, above the hot water 
tank, is surrounded by perforated zinc, and partly filled with 
sand, both to preserve the heat, and to form a convenient and 
warm receptacle for the newly-hatched chickens. Curtains 
are also provided to surround the sides of the incubator, and 
thus guard in some measure against change of temperature in 
the apartment. 

In using this incubator the egg-drawers, E, ai'e partly filled 
with chaff, or other similar material, on which the eggs are 
deposited. The water from the cold water cistern F, under- 
neath them, slowly evaporates with the heat above, and pre- 
serves a gentle moist atmosphere around the eggs during the 
process of incubation, percolating as it does through the chaff 
and perforated bottom of the egg-drawer. Ventilation takes 
place through the middle shaft, or pipe, H. In this incubator, 
therefoi*e, sprinkling the eggs is not needful, all that is neces- 
sary being to replenish the cold water tank, F, when exhausted; 
but the eggs, as in all incubators, should be withdrawn, cooled 
for half an hour, and afterwards turned, every day. 

We have no hesitation in pronouncing the cold water tank 
in this incubator a most valuable invention, and one which 
answers its immediate purpose well ; while it also, to some 
extent, tends to equalise the tempei-ature. The arrangement 
at top for the chickens is also very simple and convenient, and 
the whole shows both originality and ingenuity in a very high 
degree. 

That artificial incubation will ever commercially supei'sede, 
in ordinary seasons and for ordinary eggs, the natural process, 
we do not for a moment believe. That it does po in Egypt is 



VALUE OF AN INCUBATOR. 209 

not the slightest argument ; in that country there is a climate 
both warm and steady, whilst in this it is both cold and very 
variable. The value of incubators is to hatch when hens 
cannot be had, and in such seasons 70, 60, or even 40 per cent, 
will often be thankfully accepted by breeders for exhibition as 
ample return. 

Now it will not do to purchase an incubator, light the 
lamp, put in the eggs, and expect that, provided the lamp be 
only kept burning, all will go right. The consequence would 
be utter failure. And, on the other hand, we would undertake 
to hatch somewhere between the averages we have quoted with 
the very worst Incubator that was ever constructed ; only per- 
haps changing the lamp, if very faulty, for one constructed to 
burn more regularly. Certain precautions must be taken, 
certain conditions must be secured, and certain errors must be 
guarded against. 

And first it must be remembered that in artificial hatching 
it is absolutely necessary the eggs be fresh. Hens will hatch 
eggs a fortnight old or more — incubators scarcely ever. Of 
course, if the artificial process were perfect, this difference 
would not be. But it is not perfect — it is a substitute. "We 
are fighting against a host of difficulties ; we must, therefore, 
take the fact as we find it, and choose only eggs that do not 
exceed five or six days old. This caution cannot be neglected 
with impunity; if any inventor promise otherwise, let the 
credulous purchaser only try. 

Again, the incubator must be placed where it shall not be 
exposed to jarring or concussion. That timid hens always 
hatch small broods is well known ; yet many appear to think 
that they can expose their artificial hen to any vibration or 
noise without injury. This is to court a danger which Nature 
is ever seeking to avoid. 

That the eggs should be daily sprinkled has already been 
■mentioned. Only in Schroder's Incubator can this precaution 
A O 



210 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND REARING OP CHICKENS. 

be disDensed with ; and we cannot but consider that gentle- 
man's evaporating tray the most valuable feature in the whole 
invention. Still it answers quite as well to sprinkle with 
water daily, if it be done ; the value of Schroder's plan is in 
the case of forgetful operators. It must be remembered that 
eggs in the circumstances we are considering require moisture 
more than under a hen in the very driest season, since even 
then eggs naturally hatched get a little humidity from the 
perspiration of the hen's body. But in an incubator all must 
be supplied, and any omission' is death and failure. 

But the greatest mistake is in seeking too high a tempe- 
rature. In every published work we have seen, the standard 
and proper heat for the eggs is given as 105°, and we have not 
the slightest hesitation in saying that to this the largest pro- 
portion of failures is due, the chickens being roasted in their 
shells. We do not mean to say that 105° will kill the chicks, 
or will not hatch them; but we do say that some hours of 108° 
will kill a few ; and as in this climate it is impossible to main- 
tain a constant temperature, if 105° be taken as the standard, 
it is sure to be exceeded again and again ; and thus, two or 
three perhaps at a time, the chicks are killed. On the other hand, 
It has been conclusively proved that whilst 98° is not enough to 
hatch successfully, the temperature may be allowed to sink so 
low for some time occasionally with little injury. Let 102 c 
therefore be taken as the proper standard for the eggs, and 
more chickens will be hatched than have ever been. A rise of 
several degrees will then not be fatal whilst an occasional fall 
will also be borne ; and, with fresh eggs, a good hatch may be 
expected.* And this leads us to the great difficulty of all artifi- 

* Since writing the above we have had a communication from Mr. 
Brindley, in reply tn a note embodying the above opinion, in which he 
fully concurs with the view we have here expressed, and encloses the direc- 
tions issued with his patent incubator, in which 103° is given as the proper 
temperature. We are happy to find our judgment thus corroborated, and 
willingly give him credit as the first to publish a corrsct statement on the 
subject. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE INCUBATOR. 211 

aial hatching — that of maintaining a regular temperature in our 
variable climate. The same lamp-flame will not keep up during 
the night the same heat in the water by many degrees as it 
maintained during the day, a-nd the difference must be carefully 
provided for, or disappointment will ensue. This is where 
many fail, and where so much attention is requisite. Changes 
of weather must be guarded against, and compensated in like 
manner ; and for all this there must be the most constant 
reference to the thermometers, both the one in the heating 
chamber or cistern, and the other which should always be kept 
in the egg-drawer itself. It is here that Mr. Brindley's valve 
will be useful ; but it will not do to depend upon it ; it will 
help, but it will not do the work of supervision. Mr. Schroder's 
idea of surrounding the whole with curtains is also good, and 
may be applied to any incubator. But, with all these helps, 
the lamp itself must be carefully arranged so as to give more 
heat during the night than in the day, and in cold weather 
than in mild ; and the process should also be carried on in the 
part of the house where the temperature is most uniform. A 
bedroom is a good place, as it is untenanted in the day, whilst 
at night the occupants help to keep up the heat. Another, 
and the best plan, is to place the incubator in a room with a 
fireplace, but not near it, and to light a fire in the evening 
proportionate to the coldness of the weather. By this means 
something like uniformity may be preserved in the room, and 
this will go a long way to maintain it in the machine. 

It is for the same reason that in the simpler forms of 
incubators the hot water cistern should extend several inches 
beyond the eggs on every side. In small machines this is 
specially required; and the neglect of so necessary a precaution 
is one great reason why the small ordinary incubators fre- 
quently purchased almost always fail ; the outside eggs cannot 
be kept warm enough without roasting the others. 

It is by constant and careful attention to such minute 

o 2 



212 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND BEARING OF CHICKENS. 

circumstances, and thus only, that success in hatching can be 
attained. No particular form of incubator will answer without 
such care, and with it almost any will do, though the three we 
have selected are indisputably the best. The two last men- 




tioned are more elaborate, and perhaps more complete ; whilst 
that of M. Carbonnier is the cheapest and most natural. In 
his system we particularly like the layer of damp sawdust 
gently resting upon the eggs, and communicating a moist heat 
from the hot cistern, which closely approaches the natural 
hatching of a hen, and we believe will be ultimately found to 
be more successful at the very last, when the chick actually 
chip the shell, than any other. 



Since the preceding pages were first published, the incubators there de- 
scribed have been made and sold to some extent, but success has been but 



THE ARTIFICIAL MOTHER. 213 

limited with them all, owing chiefly to the fact that very few people have 
patience to give that constant care which alone can purchase success. Lately 
an incubator has been extensively sold by Messrs. Jacob Graves and Co., of 
Boston, U.S., which far surpasses all those here described in the perfection 
of its apparatus for preserving a uniform temperature. Its external appear- 
ance is represented in the engraving opposite, and it has had a greater 
amount of actual success in work than any other ever yet made. At the 
Boston show, in 1873, it hatched regularly and successfully, challenging the 
admiration of many fanciers who had previously lost all faith in " artificial 
hens." 

We have reason to believe that an English incubator is, as we write, 
nearly perfected, which will remove most of the practical difficulties hitherto 
found so serious, and enable eggs to be hatched without more than a 
moderate amount of trouble. This measure of success has been attained 
by attending to conditions we long ago pointed out as essential, and 
especially by affording to the eggs a constant and ample supply of fresh air, 
in which most incubators hitherto constructed — even the best — have been 
deficient. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

REARING CHICKENS ARTIFICIALLY. 

The artificial rearing of chickens must be regarded as a 
question entirely distinct from the artificial hatching of them, 
and may often become advisable, or even necessary, when they 
have been hatched under a hen. The mother may die just when 
her care becomes most necessary ; or she may be a valuable hen, 
-fvhose eggs are much wanted, and whom it is not advisable to 
subject to the wear and tear of a young brood. And lastly, 
some persons consider that it is absolutely better to bring up 
chickens by hand, even when they have been naturally hatched ; 
believing that under the shelter provided, and not being forced 
to accompany the hen in her rambles, a greater portion are 
reared, that they grow faster, and make ultimately finer fowls. 
We cannot certainly agree in such an opinion, though there 
are respectable authorities who hold it. We admit that, with 
^are, chickens may be reared with as much success as by a hen, 



214 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND REARING OF CHICKENS. 

but more we cannot concede ; and even for this much the greatest 
care is requisite, and proper management is absolutely necessary. 

Some sort of an " artificial mother " must of course be 
provided, and the best form of all is the ordinary one. This 
consists of a board sloping down from four inches above the 
ground to about two inches ; and for a brood of a dozen chicks, 
about a foot square. It is covered on the under side with a 
piece of lamb or sheep-skin dressed with the long wool on, and 
which should only be tacked round the edges of the board, so 
as to fall a little slack with its own weight, and thus rest upon 
the chickens. By attending to this, as well as to the slope of 
the board, the largest and smallest chickens will be accommo- 
dated with equal comfort. A few small gimlet holes should be 
bored in this cover for ventilation. 

Instead of sheepskin, some employ a manufactured article 
which resembles a number of cotton wicks hanging thickly from 
a sort of linen foundation. We should prefer this when 
obtainable, but it is very difficult to procure, while sheepskin is 
always at command. 

The board so furnished must be mounted on two sides and a 
back of wood, the back being two inches high, and the sides, of 
course, sloping up from that height to four inches in the front, 
which is left open for the chicks to enter by. This front side 
is, however, furnished with a curtain of flannel four and a half 
inches deep, which thus sweeps the ground and excludes the 
cold air, whilst the chicks push under it either way with the 
greatest ease. There should be no bottom at all. We believe 
the addition of a wooden bottom to be the great reason why so 
many have difficulty in rearing chickens artificially. Such a 
bottom may be sanded or covered with ashes with the most 
sedulous care ; but it will harbour vermin, and become more or 
less tainted, and the chickens will then be sure to droop away. 
Moreover, it is hopeless to expect good constitution in birds 
reared more than the first fortnight on a wooden floor. Let 



THE ARTIFICIAL MOTHER. 



215 



the " mother " be set on the ground, evenly covered an inch deep 
with sand or nice dry ashes ; let it be never left two nights in 
precisely the same spot, and let the ground it is to occupy be 




Fig. 16. 
A is the frame of the wire run. 
B are the wire blinds, each movable, and thus allowing the run to be cleaned 

out easily. 
C is the " hood," which takes off— as shown at the dotted line— and is used when 

the chickens are able to perch. 
D is the hairy cover — the substitute for the hen's body. This is detached, and 

fits either along the dotted line, and so is suited for chickens not able to perch, 

or when the hood and perch are used, forms the cover to the same. 
E Perch. F Tressels and stand. 



perfectly clean and dry before each removal. Such care will be 
well repaid. 

In severe weather, however, it is almost necessary to keep 
the chickens within doors till about three weeks old, and a 
wooden floor to the "mother" then becomes necessary. No 



216 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND REARING OP CHICKENS. 

better arrangement perhaps can be devised than that contrived 
by Mr. F. H. Schroder, and shown in Fig. 1 6 ; which is 
constructed to stand upon trestles at a convenient height for 
cleansing. The roof of the " mother " is here made so as to be 
raised at pleasure when the chickens are able to roost, and allows 
of a perch being introduced ; but long before this time they 
ought to be removed to the ground, if designed for anything but 
mere in-door amusement. The floor of such temporary homes 
must be scrupulously cleaned every day, and sprinkled with 
clean sand or tine ashes so as completely to cover the wooden 
bottom. 

But in ordinary weather it is better, warming the " mother " 
with hot water, to put the chickens on the ground at once. 
In front of it must be a covered run, which may be about 
three to four feet long, enclosed at the sides and end by board, 
and covered with glass. The board enclosing it must not be 
less than a foot in height, with a few holes bored near the top 
for ventilation ; otherwise the atmosphere within will be too 
close for the chicks to live in it. It is well to make the glass 
top so that it can be lifted in warm weather like a cucumber 
frame, or the heat will become stifling. Neglect of these pre- 
cautions also causes many failures. 

In front of the covered run, again, must be an open run 
fenced in and covered over with small mesh wire netting. This 
may be any convenient size, and should extend over grass if 
possible. Communication between this open run and the 
covered run and " mother," is maintained by one or two small 
traps large enough for the chicks to pass when tolerably well 
grown, which are left open to allow of their free passage in 
fine weather, but should be kept closed when it is wet or 
very cold. 

As in very heavy weather the glass roof of the covered run 
is not sufficient protection, the whole arrangement must be 
placed under an open shed in some sheltered situation. 



MANAGEMENT OF THE CHICKS. 217 

Cleanliness in the two runs is of nearly as much importance 
&s under the " mother." They should be raked over constantly, 
if gravel or sand ; and if set upon grass, the whole should be 
moved to fresh ground every two or three days. 

The fleece or upper part of the " mother " itself is liable, 
if neglected, to get infected with insects. To prevent this, 
powdered sulphur should be frequently dusted into it, and a 
little paraffin put on here and there occasionally will also in a 
great measure expel them by the strong smell. No point is 
perhaps so universally neglected as this. But chickens when 
tormented by vermin never thrive, and we believe are occa- 
sionally worried even to death by this intolerable plague. 

Such will be all the accommodation needed in ordinary 
summer or spring weather, during which the chicks, when in the 
"mother," will keep themselves comfortably warm. But for 
the preservation of broods hatched in January or February, it 
will be necessary to add artificial heat, which may be done by 
having on the top board of the " mother " a vessel to be filled 
with hot water the last thing at night, and once or twice during 
the day. In very severe weather even this will not be sufficient, 
and the water must be kept hot through the night by a lamp 
or other contrivance. Of course, if there be hot air apparatus 
for a greenhouse, or any other permanent source of heat, it may 
be made available in any convenient manner, and a lamp 
dispensed with. 

The feeding will not differ from that already given. Hard 
boiled eggs chopped up, and very coarse oatmeal moistened with 
milk or water, is best to commence with, as the chickens will 
begin to peck much more readily at such tiny morsels than at 
anything in the shape of sop. Groats chopped up small are 
also very useful in teaching them to feed. This is, in fact, the 
only difficulty, and is best got over by tapping on the floor with 
the end of the finger, at the same time clucking like a hen. 
But very few chickens give any trouble in this way, and the 



218 ARTIFICIAL HATCHING AND REARING OP CHICKENS. 

art of feeding is one which, once learnt, is fortunately never 
forgotten. Let not animal or green food be neglected, or the 
chickens will never be superior specimens ; and let grain be 
added by degrees, but still letting the chief diet till at least three 
months old consist of soft food. This, however, has been fully 
treated of in Section I., and we will only add a caution that 
the young birds be never neglected. Remember that chicks with 
a hen, if at liberty, can almost always procure some food — 
enough to maintain life at least — if their regular meal be for- 
gotten ; whilst those reared in this manner are entirely de- 
pendent upon their owner's care, and one forgotten meal, even if 
not fatal at the time, frequently lays the foundation of mortal 
disease, by leaving the poor little things with no strength to 
endure any inclemency of the weather. The want of such 
support is what makes bread sops so objectionable a food for 
young birds. 

To sum up all : Warmth (with ventilation), Cleanliness, 
and Constant Feeding will give unfailing success in the rearing 
of chickens artificially ; and when there has been signal failure, 
tho cause will be found in neglect of one of these three. The 
whole art is therefore simple enough, and every large poultry- 
keeper should make himself to some extent conversant with it, 
as such experience may often prove serviceable, even should he 
be one of those who shun "incubators" as they would the 
plague. For instance, a hen cannot cover well more than six 
or seven chickens if hatched very early, but can hatch well ten 
or eleven : hence a poultry-breeder experienced in artificial 
rearing has much advantage over another ignorant of it, as 
he can set all his hens in January (when "broody" hens are 
very scarce) on their full complement of eggs, and when 
hatched give each as many as she can properly protect, and 
bring the remainder up by hand. To exhibitors especially the 
possibility of thus getting early stock in increased numbers is 
of great and special importance. 



SECTION VI. 

THE BEEED1NG AND MANAGEMENT OF POULTKY 
UPON A LAEGE SCALE. 



POITLTKY ON THE LARGE SCALE 



CHAPTER XXYII. 

SEPARATE ESTABLISHMENTS FOR REARING POULTRY. POULTRY 
ON THE FARM. CONCLUSION. 

In seeking to give such information as may be useful to any 
contemplating the wholesale rearing and keeping of fowls as a 
distinct business, we labour under the great disadvantage that 
there is no successful concern of the kind in England to which 
we can refer. That this is not for want of a market for either 
eggs or chickens, is proved by the continuous high prices of the 
one, and the many millions of the other yearly imported from 
France and Ireland. Still it is the fact ;* and for any actual 
examples which we can consider worthy of imitation, we have 
therefore been compelled to cross over to France, where such 
enterprise is carried on to an extent, and with a success little 
dreamed of in this country, and which proves that here also 
the first who shall bring to bear upon it the same amount 

* In this and other observations which more or less directly appear to 
reflect upon the well-known National Poultry Company's establishment at 
Bromley, it is not meant to assert that the concern there is a losing one; on 
this point we have no information whatever, and make no such imputation 
of the slightest kind. But it has become, from sheer necessity, a mere 
assemblage of pens for breeding and showing prize poultry, and selling eggs 
therefrom ; and has altogether failed to provide a supply of fowls for* the 
market at a cheap rate, as every one predicted it would, and on whicii 
ground it was ostensibly inaugurated. 



222 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 

of practical knowledge, sound judgment, and good business 
management, will not fail to reap a similar harvest. 

It is, however, very necessary to make these reservations. 
Nothing is more easy than to publish sanguine calculations 
showing from one to three hundred per cent, profit to be 
derived from such concerns, and more than one such have we 
seen ; but unless these computations are founded upon some 
sound practical knowledge of such details as are contained in 
the foregoing pages, they cannot but prove delusive. It was 
here that Mr. Geyelin so signally failed. With many good 
ideas — some of which have been found truly valuable — he 
utterly lacked that real knowledge of fowls which could alone 
have turned them to account ; and hence his well-known 
pamphlet, full as it was of really useful conceptions, and 
awakening as it deservedly did very great attention to the 
subject of wholesale poultry- breeding, abounds also with 
absurdities which could only provoke a smile from every one 
who had actually kept fowls. He was essentially a theorist ; 
and since his theories involved certain principles which were 
fundamentally wrong, that his plans should fail practically was 
an inevitable necessity. And that they have done so is an 
admitted fact. 

Mr. Geyelin's fundamental idea was, that with proper care 
and judicious feeding, fowls could be bred, reared, and kept 
for any purpose — either for chickens or for eggs — far more 
economically, and in better health, in close confinement, than 
even with a moderate degree of liberty. And to those ignorant 
of the subject he apparently demonstrated his point. He 
alleged truly that the chickens would be protected from wet 
and cold ; that they would never be over-tired ; and that they 
would always be properly fed ; and in his arrangements he 
therefore provided that they should be hatched and reared on 
wooden floors. But he forgot that such treatment would not 
give constitution, without which no system can in the long run 



CLOSE CONFINEMENT. 223 

be remunerative ; and this one flaw in the argument has 
rendered valueless all his after reasoning. On the first appear- 
ance of Mr. Geyelin's pamphlet, we ventured to predict that 
whilst he might keep in health and good condition grown 
fowls, his plans would fail altogether with regard to chickens ; 
and since chicken-rearing is at the very root of all plans for 
keeping poultry on the large scale, would practically fail alto- 
gether. The event has justified this prognostication to the 
letter ; for whilst the National Poultry Company have kept in 
good health, and taken numerous prizes with, adult birds from 
their small pens, they have not succeeded in sending any 
amount of dead stock to the London market ; and on a recent 
visit to their establishment at Bromley, we found the Geyelin 
system of rearing the broods altogether abandoned, and the 
chickens were being brought up out of doors as usual. At 
a smaller establishment in the provinces, built on the exact 
model of that at Bromley, we found precisely similar 
results. 

Such being the case, we shall not give any detailed descrip- 
tion of Mr. Geyelin's plans, referring those who may be 
desirous of investigating them to his own pamphlet for further 
information.* But in justice to him we must nevertheless 
remark that he has rendered real assistance to the advancement 
of poultry-breeding of no small value. He has conclusively 
proved that adult fowls can be kept in health in pens of only 
six feet by twelve, and demonstrated in connection with this 
the great value and importance of deodorisation ; he was the 
first in this country to insist publicly upon the necessity of 
giving soft food as well as grain ; and, most important perhaps 
of all, he pointed out perspicuously the design of nature, and 
the necessity to the most profitable result, of making the fowls 
feed the land whilst the land fed the fowls. These are im- 

* Since these pages were written, the disastrous failure of the National 
Poultry Company has more than confirmed all our remarks. 



224 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 

portant services, and it would ill become us not to acknowledge 
them, though we cannot follow him to his conclusions. 

In attempting ourselves to give such information as may be 
useful to those contemplating this branch of commercial enter- 
prise, we shall in the first place, translating from an interesting 
work* published under the authority of the French Minister 
of Agriculture, give a short and illustrated description of one 
of the latest and best managed establishments in France, after- 
wards making such remarks as may appear advisable. 

The establishment in question is said to belong to the 
Baroness de Linas, and is situated at Charny, a village near 
Paris. Left a widow some years since, with a small estate of 
about fifteen acres, which bears the name of Belair, Madame de 
Linas, partly for amusement and partly in order to augment a 
rather scanty income, turns her attention to poultry, and has 
for some time succeeded in both objects. Many of her arrange- 
ments are peculiar; but all are the result of much thought, 
and are worthy of attentive examination. 

The poultry-house at Belair is represented in perspective by 
the accompanying plate. It is in two storeys, each 1\ feet in 
height ; measures in all 60 by 15 feet, and is divided by par- 
titions into four compartments of equal size. This house is 
designed for the accommodation of about 1,200 laying hens, 
with a due proportion of cocks, which are lodged in the four 
upper apartments ; whilst the lower are devoted to storing, 
cooking, hatching, and other necessities of the business. 

Round the front and ends of the house there is a gallery, 
five feet wide, at the level of the upper floor, roofed bike a 
verandah, on which the doors of the fowl-houses open, and to 
which the birds ascend by broad step-ladders. The gallery carries 
a small railway, travelled by a truck, and at each end is a lifting 
tackle, by which simple means the manure and eggs are col- 

* " Ponies et (Eufs," par Eug. Gayot. Paris : Librairie Agricole, 26, 
Rue Jacob. 



1 ■■ » $ 




226 



POULTRY OX THE LARGE SCALE. 



lected and lowered down, whilst straw, sand, and anything ehe 
required, are hauled up, and distributed with the least possible 
amount of labour. The doors of the hen-houses do not open 
on hinges, but slide in panels, so as always to leave the gallery 
clear. They are furnished with traps, as usual, by which the 




Fig. 17. View of Hen-house. 

birds can enter when they are closed. The object of thus 
elevating the hen-houses are two- fold— dryness and salubrity, 
iuid security from thieves and vermin, as the ladders can be 
taken away at night, and all access cut off. 

The interior arrangements of all four upper apartments, or 
ken-houses, are precisely similar, and are shown in Figs. 17 and 18. 



HEN-HOUSE. 



227 



Each apartment is designed for about 330 fowls, and the 
interior dimensions are 16 feet by 15. The perches, shown in 
plan at J, Fig. 18, consist of flat planks, four or five inches 
wide, with only the top corners rounded off, and arranged on a 
frame so as to be movable, at a height of 16 inches above the 




rrri.i i j i_.i e n 



18. Plan of Hen-house. 



floor. Such perches never cause crooked breast-bones ; the 
heaviest fowl can reach them, and there is. never any dispute 
for the highest place, which is always the case when arranged 
en eclielon or ladderwise. 

The nests, shown at N n, are arranged in five tiers against 
the front and back walls. They are formed very simply, by 
dividing long square troughs, open at the top, into compart- 

p 2 



228 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 

merits, by means of partitions sliding in grooves. The bottoms 
of the troughs project, so as to form broad ledges, along which 
the hens can walk ; and inclined ladders, shown at E, give 
ready access to each ledge, and, consequently, to any nest. 

The floor is formed of resinous pine wood, in order to repel 
vermin. Every crevice is stopped up, and the whole scraped 
clean and profusely sanded every morning whilst the birds are 
at their first meal. In addition to this, the whole is well 
fumigated and whitewashed twice a year. 

Air is admitted to each apartment by the pipe B, which 
rises through the middle of the floor, and which is brought 
from over the furnace in the kitchen, as shown at o in the 
plan of the ground-floor (Fig. 20). By this means the tem- 
perature in winter is kept warm. Another pipe through the 
ceiling carries off the products of respiration. In summer, 
ventilation is further promoted by keeping open the Venetian 
blinds, f, with which the house is furnished. A is the door 
opening upon the gallery. 

Fig. 19 shows the arrangement of the open runs, which 
occupy about an acre and a-half each, and are of a wedge- 
form, converging on the compartments of the fowl-house, and 
opening towards the further end, where they are bounded by a 
clear running brook. Each run is provided with a spacious 
shed, built on rising ground, and small clumps of trees and 
bushes are also grown, to afford shelter from the sun. Shallow 
pits, filled with fine sand, are also provided. Every three 
months a fourth of each run is sown with hay-seed, and lightly 
dug over, in oi'der to renew the turf and bury all manure. A 
supply of worms is also in this way afforded to the fowls. 

The fences might, of course, be of any adequate kind, but 
are constructed at Belair in a very ingenious manner. A 
double row of poplar, elm, or apple-trees is planted, and 
suffered to grow for several years unmolested. Then each tree 
^ nearly cut through with a bill-hook, and bent over, but 



230 



POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 




I | 

j 1 1 

j a I - 

i • m ..L-.^r..:-.-.,: 

Hi! 



«0 ,; 



•2"3 . 



002,2 § ** 



o S S o-S 



§ M • o o 



leaving, of course, some of the wood and a broad strip of the 
bark. The effect of this treatment is to make the trees send 
out vigorous shoots in every direction, of which the largest are 
again cut and laid down as before ; and the whole being kept 



HATCHING-ROOM!. 



231 



in. bounds by a rude trellis, the effect in a few years is a dense 
living wall of foliage, which is absolutely impassable. 

At the side of the runs for the grown fowls is seen another 
large grass held, reserved for the young chickens. Against the 
back wall of this run a number of rude sheds are erected, each 
covering a coop, as represented in Fig. O, page 46. 

The arrangements of the ground-floor of the poultry-house are 
shown in plan by Fig. 20, and in perspective by Figs. 21,24 and 25= 




Fig. 21. The Hatchingr-room. 

No. 1 on the plan, and Fig. 21 in perspective, represent the 
Iiatching-room, which is at one end of the building, and is very 
ingeniously contrived. The nests p are arranged on a double 
dresser, running round three sides of the room, and consist of 
wicker baskets of an oblong square form, made larger at the 
top than the bottom, in order better to accommodate the hen's 
head and tail. Each basket has a cover, and a small ring 
for affixing a label, to denote the date of hatching. A table 
with drawer, a thermometer, registry-book, with writing mate- 



232 



POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 



rials, and a small cupboard, complete the interior furniture 
of this room. 

On the opposite side of the room to the nests, and outside 
the wall, are two tiers of coops for feeding the hens. The con- 
struction of these feeding coops, which measure sixteen inches 
wide by eighteen long, is more clearly shown by Fig. 22, D being 
a side section, and e a front view. They open at the rear into 
the hatching-room by trap-doors, built in the wall, and in front, 
on ledges. The food and water are supplied in two earthen pans, 
to whicli the hens get access by thrusting their heads through 




Fig. 22. 



the bars. The partitions between the coops project beyond 
the bars, so that the hens cannot see each other whilst feeding. 

The management of the hatching-room is easily understood. 
Each hen is taken in turn from her basket, and put through 
the trap-door into a coop until all are occupied, the pans having 
been replenished previously with food and water. They are put 
back in the same order as they were taken out, the attendant 
never leaving the room, except to clean out the coops and re- 
plenish the feeding vessels, should there be more hens than the 
number of coops will contain at one time. Thus all is con- 
ducted without noise or disturbance. 

When hatched and strong, the hen and her brood are con- 
veyed to the rearing- field in the quietest manner, without even 
taking them out of the nest, by slipping the hatching-basket (as 
already noticed, of a taper shape), into an iron ring furnished 
with handles as shown in Fig. 23. 



THE KITCHEN. 



233 




Fig. 



ISTo. 2 on the plan is the kitchen,' shown in perspective by 
Fig. 24. This contains a furnace, F, with two copper boilers for 
cooking the roots and vegetables, a dresser, t, and the necessary 





sz:3m?m\ 



^;i:i't % ', ! \ 




Fig. 24. The Kitchen. 



234 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE 

shelves and utensils. In one corner is a staircase, E, leading to 
the cellar below, in which the potatoes and vegetables are 
stored. Pipes from over the furnace convey warm air to the 
hen-houses above, and to the hatching-room, when required. 

Fig. 25 and No. 3 on the plan show the arrangements of the 
store-room, which contains the stock of meal and grain, in bins 
carefully designed for its good preservation. The corn-bins are 

% 





Fig. 25. The Store-room. 

shown on a lai'ger scale by Fig. 26, and are the invention of 
M. Audeod. The framework, f, is of wood, the sides of wire 
gauze, properly supported by additional wooden stays, T. Inside 
these is also a ventilating chimney, similarly constructed of wire 
gauze, on a wooden frame, which passes through both the lid and 
bottom of the bin, and maintains a draught of air through the 
centre of the mass, whose exterior is also ventilated through the 
gauze sides. The bottom is formed of a double slope, slanting 
like a shallow trough from the sides, A B, to the middle line, c D, 
and the trough also sloping lengthways from back to front. At 



CORN BIN, 235 

the lowest point is a shallow spout, d, to which access is afforded 
by a shutter; and it will be readily seen that the bin will 
empty itself to the very last grain. 

The Audeod corn-bin deserves to be adopted in all large 
poultry establishments. From the free ventilation provided, the 




Fig. 26. The Audeod Com Bin. 

grain — however long kept — never becomes musty, but is pre- 
served in a sound state, and the bottom, or stalest portion, is 
always used first. The elevation on legs is also not only con- 
venient -for delivering the corn into the receiving vessels, but 
secures it from the attacks of vermin. 

The bins at Belair contain nearly thirty bushels each, and 



236 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 

five of them, c c (Fig. 20), are ranged in a line at one end of the 
room, lozenge fashion, in order that air may have free access to 
them. At the other end, one each side of the door, are two large 
chests, B b, for meal and bran. These cannot of course be made 
of gauze, and are best of sheet-iron. They have, however, gauze 
covers, and are inclined at the bottom like the corn-bins, so 
that the least aerated portion is first used. The necessary 
measures and vessels complete the furniture of this room. 

No. 4 on the plan (Fig. 20) represents the egg-room, of 
which a view is unnecessary, as it is simply furnished round the 
walls with shelves, h, on which are placed the oblong square 
boxes in which the eggs are packed. Each box has marked 
upon it its date, which, with the date on which it leaves the 
establishment, is entered in a registry book. A separate corner 
is appropriated to eggs for hatching. 

A separate building is devoted to fattening purposes, fitted 
up all round the interior with tiers of cages, each large enough 
to contain one bird. The fowls are either crammed by hand, or 
by a machine which has been recently invented for that purpose, 
but of which we cannot approve. 

Such is the establishment at Belair, described by the 
authority already mentioned as one of the most complete and 
perfect of its kind in France, and to have been conducted 
for several years with great success. This being so, any critical 
remarks may appear invidious, but we must make a few obser- 
vations respecting modifications which we think desirable. 

We confess to not liking the arrangements for hatching. 
To set the hens in baskets on shelves may perhaps be inevitable 
in large establishments, but the birds should certainly have more 
room to stretch their legs when off the nest than is afforded by 
a pen a few inches square, and it is also needful they should have 
access to a dust-bath, or they are tormented by vermin to an 
intolerable degree. It would be better to give up more space 
to the hatching department, so as to give each pair of hens a 






EGGS FOB HATCHING. 237 

small yard, and set them on the ground. For instance, twenty- 
pens, 10 feet by 3 feet, would each contain two nests at one end, 
would give room for exercise and ablution, and would accom- 
modate forty hens in a space of only 30 feet by 20. This would 
be amply sufficient to hatch 3,000 chickens per annum, and they 
will be of much stronger constitution than on the plan, ingenious 
as it is, which we have described. 

Neither do we consider an acre and a half of run the most 
really economical allowance for 330 fowls, whilst we should also 
recommend the keeping of them in flocks of lesser number. 
It is true that by the quarterly digging of the runs much evil is 
prevented; but by keeping say 120 fowls on an acre this would 
be dispensed with, and the additional rent would be more than 
compensated by economy of food and saving of labour. 

Lastly, we consider it a very unadvisable plan to select the 
eggs for hatching from even the finest of those laid by the 
general stock. It is far better, from amongst the large mass of 
chickens reared annually, to select the very finest specimens, 
and reserve them in pens of, say, one cock to from four to six 
hens, for breeding alone. Many advantages will be thus 
secured. In the first place, all the eggs will for certain be of 
first class quality, and well fecundated. The cocks in the 
general runs may also be reduced to about one in twenty, or 
eveir dispensed with ; thus sending more to market, and saving 
their food. And lastly, a share of the honours of exhibition 
may be secured, and sums not to be despised realised by selling 
at high prices to amateurs. At the same time, these select 
yards must not be allowed to degenerate into mere pens for 
breeding " fancy fowls," as will be the case if not watched. 
They must be mainly regarded as the sources of supply to the 
general yards, and will then be found a valuable addition to 
the arrangements at Belair. 

For the scale of that establishment, say 1,200 laying hens, 
we do not think its arrangements can be further improved, save 



236 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 

that for the small detached shelters over the coops in the 
chicken nursery, it would be far better to substitute one long 
and spacious shed. We should ourselves also prefer the hen- 
houses on the ground-floor, in which case the kitchen, store- 
room, &c, might be placed behind ; but these are merely 
matters of opinion and detail. 

But on a larger scale some further modifications will be 
desirable, if only for the simple reason that the triangular 
shape of the runs will be very inconvenient if multiplied ; 
whilst, if rectangular, as they must be the width of the houses, 
they would be nearly as awkward from their length and nar- 
rowness. It. is needful to mention this, as we have a strong con- 
viction that with less than 10,000 fowls there is not sufficient 
return to be worth the attention of the English capitalist. And 
whether there be an adequate market for the produce of such 
a number must in all cases be carefully ascertained before suck 
an undertaking be engaged in. This much being taken for 
granted, we would make the following suggestions respecting 
the formation of a chicken farm. 

Of the 10,000 fowls we would reckon 400 as the breeding 
stock, and 9,600 as laying, or ordinary stock, divided into 80 
flocks of 120 each. These flocks should each have an acre of 
run ; 15 acres more would be required for the chicken run 
or nursery ; 3 acres for the breeding yards, and the remainder 
for hatching runs and buildings, pigs, &c, &c. In all, 100 acres. 

The simplest and best arrangement would be to have the 
grass runs, say 80 feet by 550 feet, with a house or close 
shed 80 feet by 4 feet at one end, provided along its whole 
length with traps, for the fowls to enter. One long perch will 
then roost all the birds, and the nests will also be contained 
in a single row. In front of the house should be a shed 
extending about 20 feet, and floored with hard gravel or 
asphalt, under which the food will be thrown, and to which 
the birds can retreat. The runs should be side by side, and 



STEAM ENGINE. 239 

two rows of houses arranged back to back, with a passage 
between, into which their doors open. This passage should 
have a sky-light roof, and the houses be only fronted into it 
with netting ; this part of the arrangement being like that of 
Mr. Lane's establishment, figured at page 65, only that each 
house is much longer. The nests should similarly be reached 
by trap-doors from the passage, which should be traversed by 
a railway-truck to collect the eggs and manure. 

By such an arrangement, all the needful operations will be 
conducted with the least possible labour. 

The conditions of health, fecundity, and profit will not 
differ from those enunciated in the first section of this work. 
But in a large concern all operations will range themselves 
into five great divisions : the breeding- yards, the hatching-pens 
or rooms, the chicken-nursery or rearing runs, the ordinary 
stock-yard, and the fattening pens. These must be arranged 
in any way that will best secure economy of labour and effective 
supervision. 

As much machinery as possible should be employed in pre- 
paring the food, and to work these a small steam-engine will 
be found very economical, whilst it may be made auxiliary to 
cooking purposes. 

Great care must be taken that the land is well drained, 
and, if possible, slightly sloping to the south. A light, dry 
soil is also very desh-able, but good drainage will overcome 
great difficulties in this respect. 

The selection of breeds is of the very utmost importance. 
With a good market for both eggs and fowls, we would recom- 
mend one-fourth Dark Brahmas, one-fourth Dorkings, one- 
fourth Houdans, and one-fourth a cross between the three, 
obtained by first mating the largest Brahma hens with a 
Dorking cock, and then breeding from the progeny with the 
largest Houdan cocks that can be procured. Of this cross we 
cannot speak too highly, as admirable chickens, thus bred, may 



240 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 

be sent to market at ten weeks old — an earlier period than is 
possible with any other fowls we know. All the runs, except 
the Dorkings, will yield an abundance of eggs, and that breed 
will be most valuable for table fowls, and also as mothers. If 
another breed be desired, La Fleche should be selected, for the 
sake of their fine large eggs, combined with good and heavy 
table qualities. Except in very favourable situations, Crepes 
are too delicate to be remunerative. 

The profitable disposal of the manure should be especially 
studied, and for this reason we should strongly recommend some 
measure of farming operations to be carried on in combination. 
A number of pigs should likewise be kept, as they may be 
fattened on what the fowls refuse. Or ducks will also make 
capital " save-alls." 

We are reluctant to enter into figures, we have seen so 
many visionary and delusive statements ; but we know that some 
data, however rough, will be expected. It is only as such that 
we offer the following ; and if our figures do not show three 
hundred per cent, as the probable profit, it is because they are 
based upon some attempt, however rough, at calculation from 
actual facts, not upon the sanguine theories of persons totally 
ignorant of fowls. We shall still suppose an establishment 
of 10,000 birds. 

For capital we would estimate — 

10,000 fowls, at 2s. each £1,000 

Buildings, Fittings, Engine, Plant and Utensils, including 

2 horses and carts 1,350 

One month's food ... ... ... ... ... .„ 150 

Spare cash working capital ... ... ... ... 500 



Say total capital £3,000 

Our plan of commencing would be to purchase first simplj 
400 first-class breeding birds at an average of about 20s. each 
(some would be much more than this^ The stock for the second 



ESTIMATE OF EXPENSE. 



241 



year would then cost less than £1,000, but there would be little 
to spare for sales. 

Our estimate for the working of such an establishment 
is based upon the fact, that of all the breeds mentioned above 
except Dorkings, 150 eggs per annum may be obtained from 
each hen. Including them the average will be 140 all round, 
or with the cocks say 130. On the large scale, we are also 
satisfied that the keep of a fowl will not exceed 3s. per annum, 
and from these facts we are justified in reckoning every fowl 
in the yard as representing a gross profit (including the manure) 
over and above her food, of 4s. per annum, leaving all other 
expenses to be deducted. A rough estimate may then stand 
thus — 



RECEIPTS. 
Gross profit over food from 
9,600 stock fowls, at 4s. 
per annum each £1,920 



£1,920 



EXPENSES. 
Rent— 100 acres, at 40s. ... £200 

Taxes 40 

Interest on capital of £3,000 

at 5 per cent 150 

Wages — 2 men with their 

families 200 



Fuel and attendance for en- 
gine 100 

Gross balance of profit 1,170 



£1,920 



In this estimate nothing is allowed for reneiving the stock, because all 
the fowls, which should never be allowed to become old, can be sold when 
fatted for more than they actually cost as delivered from the breeding- 
yards. 

There will be other items of expense which cannot be set 
down. Railway carriage is difficult to estimate, and will affect 
profit ; there is also wear and tear to allow for. But on the 
other hand, the above balance-sheet represents the profit of 
the laying stock alone, and a gross profit of at least equal 
amount will be derived from the dead stock sent to market 
from the breeding-yards. Of this we give no details, as the 

A Q 



242 POULTRY ON THE LARGE SCALE. 

returns from chickens sold at ten to eighteen weeks old — and 
they should not be older — may be easily estimated. In the 
main, therefore, the above figures -will be found sufficient ; and 
if they show a somewhat more moderate return than preceding 
writers have promised, they are at least likely to be realised, 
and certainly — making the sole and all important stipula- 
tion of a market — offer sound inducements to the enter- 
prising capitalist. 

It is, however, to the farmer that poultry-breeding on a 
large scale more especially commends itself; and it may be 
pursued most successfully on either of two quite distinct 
systems. A large number may be kept all through the year, 
and a portion of the farm — say one-fourth — permanently 
appropriated in regular rotation to their use, the fowls being 
removed to fresh ground every year. Or, on the other hand, 
a moderate breeding-stock only may be permanently retained, 
but a large number of chickens reared from them every season, 
which should be sent to the fields as soon as cropped, in 
travelling houses mounted on wheels. There they will speedily 
get fat at very little expense, and may be killed off for the 
market. The first plan is most suitable for large farmers with 
good business and administrative capacity; the last will be best 
adapted for smaller holdings. But either system will not only 
yield a handsome profit in itself, but greatly benefit the other 
produce ; both by manuring the ground, and by removing 
myriads of worms and insects very injurious to the growing 
crops. Indeed, considering the ravages yearly committed on 
every farm by these tiny pests, it is to us most astonishing 
that, instead of the bungling methods of extermination at 
present employed, the farmers of England do not have recourse 
to the philosophical and lucrative remedy which nature has 
provided. 

The choice of breeds will be generally as already mentioned, 
but will vary with circumstances. Dorkings should not be 



FARM POULTRY. 243 

kept when eggs are the principal object ; nor Brahmas wheii 
dead poultry is the end in view. If only one breed is desired, 
Houdans will be best, with a few Brahma hens for hatching 
and crossing. 

It is on the farm poultry ought to be most profitable ; 
and, in such circumstances, we consider every well-chosen 
stock-fowl should represent a clear profit of five shillings per 
annum ; whilst we are quite sure chickens will yield a much 
heavier weight of meat for the same outlay than any other 
stock whatever. The time is fast approaching when this will 
be generally recognised ; and then, and not before, will 
poultry-breeding occupy its legitimate position in the general 
economy of agriculture. 

To contribute in some slight degree towards this result, 
has been one object of the preceding pages. 



INDEX. 



Accident to Eggs, How to act in case 

of, 40 
Age to Breed from, The Best, 81, 82 
Anconas, 136 
Andalusian, The, 136 
Animal Food necessary for Fowls, 27 

, Caution against over-use of, 28 

, How to supply, 28 

Apoplexy, Treatment for, 57, 58 
Artificial Hatching, 203, 204 

■ , Danger of Concussion in, 209 

, The Eggs used in, 209 

, Hints about, 209 

, The Sprinkling of the Eggs in, 

209, 210 

, The Success of, 208, 209 

, The Supply of Heat for, 211. 

212 
, The Temperature required for, 

210, 211 

"Artificial Mother," Description of 

the, 214—216 

, Schroder's, 216 

Artificially-reared Chickens, Food for, 

217, 218 
Artificial Rearing, 213 

, Points to be attended to in, 218 

: , Importance of Cleanliness in, 

217 

, Value of, 218 

, Directions as to the Weather 

in, 215-217 



Artificial Selection, Evils of too great, 

75 
Aylesbury Ducks, The Bills of, 192, 

193 

, Description of, 191, 192 

, Fattening of, 192 

as Layers, 192 



, 162, 163 

, Black, 165 

Bantam Chickens, Treatment of, 167 
Bantams, Cochin, 166 
Bantam Eggs, 167 
Bantams, Game, 165 

, Japanese, 166, 167 

, Laced, 77, 78 

, Nankin, 166 

, Pekin, 166 

, Sebright, Description of, 163, 164 

, The Two Varieties of, 164 



, Usefulness of, 167 

, White, 165, 166 

Barley as Food, The Use of, 27 
Barn-door Fowls, 17 
Black-breasted Reds, The, 121 
Black-crested White Polands, 147 
Black Game Fowls, The, 122 
Black Hamburgs, 78, 144 
Black- winged Pea-fowl, 183 
Box for Carriage of Hen and Chickens, 
47 

B. 



246 



Boyle's, Description of Mr., Esta- 
blishment, 67—69 
Brahmas, The, 15—17 

, 1 he Breed of, 105, 106 

, The Breeding of, 110, 111 

, The Dark, as Breeding-fowls, 

19 

, The Colour of, 111—113 

, The Comb of, 106 

, The Cross of, 107 

, Tbe Dark, Description of, 

108—110 

, The Form of, 111 

, The Light, Description of, 107 

■ , The Merits of, 115 

as Mothers, 37 

, The Dark, Mr. Boyle's Opinion 

of, 108—110 

as Table-fowls, 115 

Breda, The, 160, 161 

, Merits of, 161 

Breed from, The Best Age to, 81, 82 
Breed, Test for the Accidental and 

the True, 76 
Bieeder, Errors on the part of the, 78 

, The Power of the, 78 

Breeding, What Attentive, might do, 

79, 80 
Breeding-season, Shelter during the, 

45—47 
Breeds for the Poultry-yard, Choice 

of, 20 
Bresse, La, 161 
Brindley's Incubator, 206, 207 
Bi own-Reds, The, 120, 121 
Buckwheat as Food, 27 

as Food prior to Shows, 95 

Buenos Ayres Black Ducks, 195, 

196 
Bufl' Polands, 149 

Call Ducks, 195 

Canada Geese, 198 

Carbonnier's Incubator, 204—206 

Cats, How to prevent the Inroads of, 

48, 49 
Cayuga Ducks, 196 
Chamois Polands, 149 
Chick, Separation of the, from the 



, How to act when the, sticks to 

Shell, 43 
Chickens, Importance of Cleanliness 

to, 48 
, Benefit to, of Cooping neai 

Grass, 47, 48 

, Dark, 123 

, Evil of making, Drink when 

Hatched, 45 
, Exhibition, Treatment of, when 

Hatched, 86—89 
, How often, should be Fed, 

50 
, Food for, as they grow older, 

50 
, Food for, in Cold Weather, 

51 
, How the Hen can escape the 

Worry of, 85 
, The Best Condition of, for 

Home Use, 54 

, Light Game, 123 

, First Meal of, 45 

, When, are ready for Exhibi- 
tion, 90 
, Prize, The Best Food for, 86— 

89 

, When, should Roost, 89 

, Striped, 123 

, Treatment of, in Cold Weather, 

51 
Chicks, The Best Food for, 49, 50 
Chinese Geese, 197, 198 
Cleanliness in Artificial Rearing, 

217 

in the Roosting-house, 7 

Cochin Bantams, 166 

Cochins, About, 101, 102 

, General Appearance of, 103, 

104 

, Build of, 102, 103 

, Characteristics of, 102 

, Colours of, 103, 104 

, Effect of Crossing on, 77 

, Defects of, 105 

, Diseases to which, are liable* 

105 

, Merits of, 104 

as Mothers, 37 

, Relative value of, 105 



247 



Cochins, Silky, 170 

, Weight of, 102 

Coloured Dorking, Effect of Crossing 

on, 77 
Colonel Stuart Wortley's Incuoator, 

212, 213 
Columbian, The, 136 
Common Pheasant, The, 188 
Concussion, Danger of, in Artificial 

Hatching, 209 
Condition, to preserve Fowls in good, 

84 

, What is really good, 91 

Construction of the Fowl-house, 

S, 4 
Cramp, Treatment for, 56 
Creepers, 167, 168 
Creveccaurs, 152, 153 

, Faults of, 154 

, Merits of, 153, 154 

Crossing and Selection Combined, 

Kesults of, 77, 78 
Crossing, Effect of, on Cochins, 77 

, on Coloured Dorking, 77 

, on Game Fowls, 77 

, on Surrey Fowl, 77 

, Examples of, 77, 78 

, The Principle and Advantage 

of, 76 
Cygnets, Treatment of, 200 

Dark Brahmas as Breeding -fowls, 

19 

, Description of, 108—110 

, Mr. Boyle's Opinion on, 108 — 

110 
Dark Game Chickens, 123 
Dark Greys, The, 122 
Deodorisers, The Best, 9, 10 
Diarrhoea, Treatment for, 59 
Disease, The Best Cure for, 55 

, How to Prevent, 55 

, General Symptoms of, 59 

, Treatment upon Appearance of, 

59, 60 
Domestic Poultry-keeping, Profits 

from, 32, 33 
Dorkings as Breeding-fowls, 19 
Dorking, the Coloured, Effect of 

Crossing on, 77 



Dorkings, Diseases to which, are 

liable, 130 

, General Description of, 126, 127 

, Effects of Inter-breeding on, 129 

as Layers, 130 

as Mothers, 37 

, Hints about the Bearing of, 130, 

131 

, The Silver-grey, 128 

as Table-fowls, 130 

, The White, 128, 129 

Douglas Mixture, Use of the, 30 
Draughts in the Fowl-house, 4 
Ducks, Call, 195 

, A Few Hints respecting, 196 

, Houses for, 196, 197 

, Large Black, 196 

as Layers, 196 

, Muscovy, 195 

, The Rearing of, 190, 191 

, Use of, 191 

Dumpies, 167, 168 

, East Indian Black Duck, 195, 196 

Eggs, How to act in case of Acci- 
dents to, 40 

, The Sprinkling of the, in Arti- 
ficial Hatching, 209, 210 

, The, used in Artificial Hatch- 
ing, 209 

, Advantage of Distinguishing 

the, 32 

, Testing the Fertility of, 41, 42 

for Setting, Importance of using 

Fresh, 34, 35 

, How often, should be Gathered, 

32 
, The Proper Number of, for 

Hatching, 42 
Egg-laying Stocks, The, 16 
Eggs for Setting, How to Keep, 35 
, How to Pack, 86 

for Setting, The Selection of, 

34 

Embden Geese, 197 

Emu, The, 170 

English White Swans, 199 

Exhibition, When Chickens are ready 

for, 90 
, Proper Food during, 96, 97 



2-18 



Exhibition, Immediate Preparations 

for 93, 94 

■ , Treatment after, 97 

Exhibition Chickens, Treatment of, 

when Hatched, 86—89 



Fancy Poultry, 17 

Farm, The Advantage of Rearing 

on a, 70 
Fat, Hints as to Extra Weight and, 

53, 54 
Fattening, The Best Food for, 53 
Fattening Hens, 52, 53 
Fattening, Duration of the, Process, 

53 

, Objections to, 91 

The Secret of, Profitably, 53 

Feathers, How to Dress, 32 

, Loss of, Treatment for, 58 

, Value of, 32 

Feeding, Errors to be guarded against 

in, 23, 24 
, Importance of Judicious, 20, 

21 

, Evils of Over-, 21, 22 

, of Sitting Birds, The, 37 

Fleche, La, 154 

, Merits of, 155, 156 

Fledging, Treatment for Bad, 56 
Food, Animal, necessary for Fowls, 

27 
for Artificially-reared Chickens, 

217, 218 

, Benefit of Change of, 25 

, Best, for Chicks, 49, 50 

for Chickens in Cold Weather, 

51 

for Growing Chickens, 50 

for Prize Chickens, 86—89 

, How to give, to the Fowl, 26, 

27 
for large number of Laying- 
fowls, 24, 25 
for small number of Laymg- 

fowls, 24 

, Best, for Morning Meal, 23 

, Best, for Evening Meal, 23 

, Rule for Regulating the Supply 

of. 22 



Food, To Mix Soft, 26 

, Vegetable, Importance of, 28 

Foods, Analysis of various, 25 
Fowl-house, Construction of the, 8, 4 

, Draughts in the, 4 

, The Flooring of the, 7 

, Size of the, 5 

, Ventilation of the, 5 

Fowls, Attention to be paid to, 3 

, What makes the Best, 91 

, How to keep them in Good 

Condition, 84 

, How Old, should be Cooked, 55 

, What to do with Old, 15, 16 

, Various, 172 

, How to tell Young, 15 

Fowl-sheds, The Advantage of, 6, 7 
French Breeds, The, 151 

, Features of the, 162 

Frizzled Fowls, 170 

Game Bantams, 165 

Chickens, Light, 123 

, Striped, 123 

Game Fowls, The Black, 122 

, The Best Criterion for Blood 

in, 123 

, The Breeding of, 124, 125 

, Effect of Crossing on, 77 

, Demerits of, 125, 126 

, Descviption of, 118—120 

, Best Fighters among, 123, 124 

, Time for Hatching Eggs of, 125 

, Best Layers among, 124 

, Merits of, 125 

, Original Wild Varieties of, 123 

Game Hens, 17 

as Mothers, 37, 38 

Gapes, Treatment for, 57 

Gardener's Friend, The, 191 

Geese for Exhibition, Treatment of, 

199 

, General Management of, 198 

as Sitters, 198 

Golden "Mooney" Hamburgs, 140, 

141 
Golden-pencilled Hamburgs, 140 
Golden-spangled Hamburgs, 140, 141 
Golden Pheasant, The, 188, 189 
Golden- spangled Polands, 148, 149 



249 



Golden Yorkshire Pheasant-fowl, 141 
Goslings, Treatment of, 198, 199 
Grass, Benefit of Cooping near, 47, 

48 
Green Food, Great "Value of, for 

Prize Fowls, 89 
Gueldres, The, 161 
Guinea-chicks, Treatment of, after 

Hatching, 182 
Guinea-fowls as Layers, 182 
, Remarks on, 181, 182 

Hamburg Cocks, Silver-pencilled, 

Chief Faults in, 139 
Hens, Silver-pencilled, Chief 

Faults in, 140 
Haniburgs, The, 16, 138, 139 

, The Black, 78, 144 

, Golden " Mooney," 140, 141 

, Golden-pencilled, 140 

, Golden-spangled, 140, 141 

, Lancashire Silver " Mooney," 

142 

as Layers, 144, 145 

, Silver-pencilled, 139 

, Silver-spangled, Breeding, 142, 

143 
— ■ — ,Silver-spangled, Breeding, Proper 

Mode of, 143 
Hamper, Best Form of, 95 
Hatching, Hints to Buyers of Eggs 

for, 85, 86 

, Proper Number of Eggs for, 42 

, Preparations for, 44, 45 

Hatching, Time of, 43 

, Time of, for Shows, 85 

■ , Treatment immediately after, 

44 
Hatching -run, Proper Arrangement 

of the, 36, 37 
Heat, The Supply of, for Artificial 

Hatching, 211, 212 
Hempseed as Food Prior to Shows, 

95 
Hen, Effect of, on Progeny, 83 
Hens, Number of, to the Pen, 84 
Houdans, 157—160 

as Breeding-fowls, 19 

, Merits of, 160 

Hybrid Pheasants, 189, 190 



Incabator, Brindley's, 206, 207 

, Carbonnier's, 204—206 

, Schroder's, 207, 208 

, Jacob Graves and Sons, 212, 

213 
Indian Meal as Food, 26 
Insect Vermin, Treatment for, 59 

Japanese Bantams, 166, 167 
Javan Pea-fowl, 183 
Judges, their Merits and Demerits, 96 
Judging, Objections to the Present 
System of, 78, 79 

Killing, The Best Mode of, 54 
, The Various Modes of, 54 

La Bresse, 161 

Laced Bantams, 77, 78 

La Fleche, 154 

, Merits of, 155, 156 

Lancashire Silver "Moonev" Ham- 
burgs, 142 

Lane's, Description of Mr., Esta- 
blishment, 64—67 

Large Black Duck, 196 

Laying Hens, Food for a Small Num- 
ber of, 24 

, Food for a Large Number of, 

24, 25 

, How to Keep, 14, 15 

Leg Weakness, Treatment for, 56 

Light Brahmas, Description of, 107 

Light Game Chickens, 123 

Lime, Value of, 30, 31 

Linseed as Food prior to Shows, 94 

Linton Poultry-yard, Description of 
the, 69 

Maize as Food, 26 

Malays, Description of the, 116, 117 

, Faults of the, 117 

as Table-fowls, 117 

Male, How the, affects the Progeny, 83 
Manure, Use of Poultry-, 31, 32 
Matching, Points to be Considered in, 

92 
Meal, The Best Food for Mid-day, 27 

,The Best Food for Morning, 23 

- — .The Best Food for 



250 



Meals, Number of, a Day, 23 
Minorca Spanish, The, 135 
Moisture, Importance of, to Setting 

Hens, 39 
" Mooney " Golden Hamburgs, 140, 

141 

, Lancashire Silver, 142 

and Golden Yorkshire Pheasants, 

Show-breed from, 141, 142 
Moulting, Bad, Treatment for, 56, 57 

, Treatment during, 30, 31 

Muscovy or Musk Ducks, 195 

Nankin Bantams, 166 

Negro Fowls, 168—170 

Nest, The Construction of the, 31 

, The Formation of the, 39, 40 

, Absence of Hen from the, 42, 

43 
, Arrangement of, for Sitting 

Birds, 38 

Old Fowbj How, should be Cooked, 
55 

, What to do with, 15, 16 

Over-feeding, Evils of, 21, 22 

Park, Advantages of Rearing in a, 69 
Pea-chicks, Rearing of, 184 
Pea-fowl, Black-winged, 183 
- — , Disposition of, 183, 184 

, Javan, 183 

Pea-fowls, Where, should be kept, 184 

, Remarks on, 182, 183 

Pekin Bantams, 166 
Pencilling, 114 

Perch, Size and Position of the, 5, 6 
Pheasant Chicks, Early Treatment of, 
187, 188 

, Treatment of, 185, 186 

Pheasants, Best Food for Adult, 1 86 
, Treatment of, after Breeding- 
season, 188 
- — -, The Common, 188 

, Best Diet for, 186 

, Collecting the Eggs of, 187 

Pheasants' Eggs, Hatching of, 187 
Pheasants, To avoid the ' ' Gapes " in, 

186 
, The Golden, 188, 189 



Pheasants, The Handling of, 190 

, Hybrid, 189, 190 

, Pens for Rearing, on a Large 

Scale, 186, 187 

, The Silver, 189 

, How to make, Sit, 185 

, Treatment of, 185 

Piles, The, 122 

, The Prize, 122 

, The Worcestershire, 122 

Pip, Treatment for, 59 
Plucking, 54 

,Hints as to Appearance after, 55 

Plumage, How to Modify the, 83 
Polands, Black-Crested White, 147 

, Buff, 149 

, Chamois, 149 

, The Comb of, 145, 146 

, Great Faults in, 150, 151 

, Distinguishing Features of, 145 

, Golden-spangled, 148, 149 

, Merits of, 150 

, Precautions Necessary in Rear- 

iDg, 150 

, Silver-spangled, 147, 148 

, Tenderness of, 150, 151 

Poland, White-crested Black, Cocks, 

146 
, White-crested Black, Hens, 146, 

147 
Polands, White-crested White, 147 
Potatoes as Food, 26 
Poultry-keeping a Matter of Business, 

33 

, The Great Essential in, 9 

Poultry-manure, "Value of, 31, 32 
Poultry, The Descent of, 71—74 
Poultry-yard, Choice of Breeds for, 

20 

, Plans of a, 10—13 

Prize Chickens, The Food for, 86 

—89 
, When, should Roost, 89 



Rearing in a Park, The Advantages 

of, 69 
Prize-fowls, Space required for, 

64 



INDEX. 



251 



Rearing on a Large Scale, Space re- 
quired for, 64 
Redcaps, The, 168 
Reds, The Black-breasted, 121 

, The Brown, 120, 121 

Relationship, To provide against, in 
Breeding, 82 

, Attention to be paid to Degrees 

of, 82 
Boosting-house, Cleanliness in the, 7 
Rouen Ducks, Description of, 193, 194 

and Drakes, Difference between, 

194 

, Fattening of, 194 

Rouen Ducklings, Treatment of, 195 
Roup, A Fact worth Knowing about, 
57 

, Treatment for, 58, 59 

Rumpless Fowls, 170, 172 

Run, How the, should be kept, 8 

, Space required for the, 9 

Russians, 172 

Schroder's "Artificial Mother," 216 

Incubator, 207, 208 

Scientific Theory of Breeding, Im- 
portance of, 70, 71 

Sebright Bantams, Description of, 163, 
164 

,The Two \aneties of, 164 

Selection, Evils of Over-great Artifi- 
cial, 75 

and Crossing Combined, Re- 
sults of, 77, 78 

, Effects of, 74, 75 

, Examples of, 76, 77 

Setting, Importance of using Fresh 
Eggs for, 34, 35 

, How to keep Eggs for, 35 

, The Selection of Eggs for, 34 

in Winter, 40, 41 

Sexes, Separation of the, 89, 90 

Shell, How to act when the Chick 
adheres to the, 43 

, How to assist Chicks from the, 

43 

Silky Cochins, 170 

Fowls, 168—170 

Silver Duck- wing Greys, The, 121, 
122 



Silver-grey Dorkings, The, 128 
Silver-pencilled Hamburgs, The, 139 
Silver Pheasant, The, 189 
Silver-spangled HamUuigs, Breeding, 

for Exhibition, 142, 143 
Silver-spangled Polands, 147, 148 
Silver Yorkshire Pheasants, 142 
Sitting, How to Prevent, 15 
Sitting Hens, Benefit of Moisture to, 

39 

, Arrangement of Nests for, 38 

, Management of, in the Ordinary 

Nest, 36 

, Separate Provision for, 35 

, Qualifications necessary in, 37, 

38 
, Protection of, against the 

Weather, 38, 39 
Sitting-shed, Best Situation for, 39 
Size, How to Increase the, 83 
Snow-water, Evil Results from use 

of, 29, 30 
Soft Egg, Treatment for, 59 
Spanish, The, 16 

, TheComb of the, 132—134 

, Diseases to which the, are liable, 

136, 137 
, Treatment of, before Exhibi- 
tion, 138 

, The Face of the, 132, 133 

, The, as "Fancy" Fowls, 137 

, The, as Layers, 137 

, Merits of the, 137 

, The Minorca, 135 

— — , Importance of Purity of Race 

in the, 134 
and other Delicate Breeds, 

Establishment for Rearing, 64 — 

63 

, The, as Table-fowls, 137 

, The White, 135, 136 

, Description of the White-faced 

Black, 132, 133 
Striped Game Chickens, 123 
Sultans, 149, 150 
Surrey Fowl, Effect of Crossing on 

the, 77 
Swans, 199 
Swan, The Black, 199 
, The English White, 199 



252 



Swans as Layers, 200 
"Sweepings," Objections to i 
Food, 27 



of, as 



Temperature necessary in Artificial 
Hatching, 210, 211 

Toulouse Geese, 197 

Turkey-chicks, Diseases to which, are 
liable, 179, 18( 

, Proper Food, for, 178, 179 

, Danger of Moisture to, 176 

, Treatment of, 176 

.Treatment of, immediately after 

Hatching, 178 

, Danger of Bad Weather to, 

180 

Turkey-cock, Disposition of, 177 

Turkey-hen, Disposition of, 177, 178 

Turkey-hens as Layers, 177 

Turkeys, The Breeding of, 176, 177 

, The Foreign Breeds of, 180, 

181 

Turkey's Hatching, Duration of, 178 

Turkeys, Kinds of, 180 

, Remarks on the Rearing of, 175 

, Size of, 180 

, Treatment of, when Hardy, 180 

, Treatment of, immediately be- 
fore Hatching, 178 

Utility, The Great Advantage of, 79 

Various Fowls, 172 



Vegetable Food, Importance of, 28 

Vegetables, Benefit of, to Chickens, 
51 

, What, may be used, 28, 29 

Ventilation of the Fowl-house, 5 
Vermin, Precautions against, 217 

, Insect, Treatment for, 59 

Vulture Hocks, 114 

Water, Frtsh, Importance of, 29 
Water-vessel, Best Kind of, 21 
Weather, Hints as to, in Artificial 

Rearing, 215-217 
Weight, Hints as to Extra Fat and, 

53, 54 
Wheat as Food, 27 
White Bantams, 165, 166 
White-crested Black Poland Cocks, 140 

Black Poland Hens, 146, 147 

White Polands, 147 

White Dorkings, The, 128, 129 
Whites, The, 122 
White Spanish, The, 135, 136 
Worcestershire Piles, The, 122 
Wortley's (Colonel Stuart) Incubator, 

212, 213 

Yellow Duck-wings, The, 122 
Yorkshire Golden Pheasants and 

"Mooneys," Exhibition Fowls 

from, 141, 142 
Yorkshire Silver Pheasant Fowls, 142 
Young Fowls, How to tell, 15 



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